Art therapy is a great help in opening the doors of communication of the world to people with autism to show their artistic talents.
One of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders is the difficulty of communicating verbally and socially with others. In some cases, people with autism have no ability to use speech at all to communicate.
People with autism may also have difficulty understanding the concept through the face and body of the audience, and may even be unable to understand and express a simple problem. It is worth noting that these people have a very high visual perception that allows them to Memorizing a picture and expressing their ideas through design and artistic activity is also successful. Also, according to studies, art therapy is effective for eye and hand coordination and handicraft skills, strengthening fine and gross movements, and attention and concentration for children with autism.
painting therapy:
One of the main indicators of painting therapy for people with autism is paying attention to the motivating factor in education.
In this way, these children usually resist the educational situations and the level of cooperation of the child with the teacher and therapist may decrease, but in the form of art therapy and the use of painting is pleasant for most children, it can be used as an alternative and considering interests. The child learns slowly. Teaching colors, geometric shapes, drawing skills, eye and hand coordination are some of the things that can be best used in the educational field of a person with autism through art therapy, considering increasing the child's cooperation.
Practical benefits of art therapy
General diseases
People are always looking for a way to escape disease, and art is one of the most common ways to do this. His art and creative steps can be useful in the process of improving or slowing down many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, influenza, etc.
Art therapy can also help 11- to 18-year-old autistic students improve their social skills.
Also, the severity of hyperactivity and introversion (to the point of self-harm) is significantly reduced with art therapy sessions.
Relief
Art therapy is used in a wide range of sudden shock experiences, such as emergencies or crises.
Art therapists encourage children, adolescents, and adults affected by human or natural disasters to express their experiences through artistic creation.
Grieving children
Art therapy or other creative strategies and human interventions are methods that are increasing in popularity due to their positive impact and application on the bereaved, bereaved family members, and especially bereaved children. Art therapy stimulates the conscious and subconscious mind in expressing itself and describing the pain caused by grief.
Confusion
Art therapy is an indirect way to treat distraction from grief rather than direct relief.
Problem Solving
Art therapy with a problem-solving approach shows a new application of art therapy.
Art therapy and autism
According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is a profession for human mental health that improves the physical, mental and emotional condition of people of all ages by using their creative creativity. Accordingly, the involvement of the creative power of individuals in the creation of works of art can be useful in solving mental concerns and their problems, improve their personal and internal skills, and enable them to manage their behavior. Reduce their anxiety and thus increase their self-esteem and self-confidence. There are various methods of art therapy in practice and each person can act in his own way. These techniques may be free-flowing or structured individually or in groups, and are a wonderful way for children and adults with autism to open new doors to improve their lives.
The most popular treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder is behavior therapy, which helps shape a child's behavior through a reward system. In recent years, caregivers have sought alternative or complementary therapies, such as art therapy. In general, art therapy contributes to mental and emotional development. Unlike art education, art therapy aims to develop life skills, address behavioral problems, and help express oneself.
Art therapy goals
In general, the goals of art therapy programs for children and adolescents (both normal and exceptional) can be stated as follows:
1- Refining inside the child and establishing proper communication with the outside environment
2- Discharge emotions, feelings, emotions and achieve inner peace
3- Expressing pleasures, fears, joys, sorrows and anxieties in a projective way
4- Improving fine motor skills, cognitive, perceptual, emotional, communication and social
5- Improving the child's self-expression, courage and exploration skills
6- Improving the child's learning
7- "I" coherence
8- Strengthening the aesthetic sense in the child
9- Creating a spirit of flexibility in the child
10- Improving and strengthening creativity, innovation and innovation in children Children with all kinds of needs and disabilities benefit from art therapy and can work with the therapist. Because children cannot express their feelings through language, art is a medium through which the child can communicate with the therapist with less difficulty. The tools used in a work of art are the things that a child can use to express their problems without the use of language. Since the child's emotional and behavioral problems are related to each other, both aspects must be considered in working with the child.
An alternative art to verbal communication
Art therapy is suitable for children with autism for several reasons. One of the signs of autism is that communication is damaged. "I can't speak like a big stutter ... screaming is the only way I can communicate," writes one with autism. Art provides a way for a person who has difficulty speaking and expressing himself. People with autism are often visual thinkers, and there are many reports that they "think through images." This helps many of them to be more successful in remembering and visualizing memories, memorizing an image and other visual information, as well as expressing their ideas through design or other artistic activities. Artwork is a state of communication between human beings that does not require verbal interaction but can connect these people to the external environment. It is very natural for such people to express their feelings and thoughts through pictures. Visual instructions can be in the context of visual or written assistance and provide a clear structure and expectations. Make sure these instructions are simplified, as the child may be confused by external information in the pictures.
What is it about children with autism that draws them to art?
Art is an interesting turning point for children with ASD, because art is an activity in which abilities (visual learners, sensory interests) and shortcomings (imagination, need for neurological and sensory control) are integrated and They become one. They are often very keen on artwork, but have a hard time getting it right. It is widely believed that children with autism spectrum disorder are good at performing art or even fantasy, while these children are known to use art therapy very slowly and with a delay.
How does art therapy help people with autism spectrum disorder?
There are limited researches and articles in this field that explain the case effect of these activities on these patients. However, art therapy can be a great help in opening the doors of global communication to people with autism to show their artistic talents. Some of the available articles suggest that art therapy can help discover the talents of children with autism. However, it can have other significant consequences for other children who do not have potential artistic talents. Other results include improving the perception and ability of visual thoughts, improving the ability to recognize and respond to facial expressions (body language), increasing the power of emotion management, improving motor skills.
Features of works of art made by children with autism:
There is a unique beauty and style in the arts that people with autism have done. These children experience the world and the objects in it differently from their normal peers, and their artwork reflects these differences. There are several observable features that can be seen in many works of art by children with autism spectrum disorder. In fact, any child who does art can see these features in his or her artwork, as many of these features can be seen in the artwork of people with autism, making them unique autism features. he does.
