Therapy as Communication for Autistic Children

1. Therapy as Communication for Autistic Children By Rebecca Waldron

2. What is Art Therapy? • Art Therapy is therapy through art; • it combines various art materials • paint • clay • sculptural materials • pastels/chalk • And other materials that allow the patient to express themselves visually • Like all therapies it must be done under the supervision of either, • a trained art therapist who has a master’s degree or PhD in Art Therapy • or is a registered art therapist • Art therapists should also have an undergraduate degree in an art related area

3. Art Therapy as Communication • Art therapy can be a successful form of communication for people with disabilities who are unable to communicate verbally. • It allows for non-verbal expression through the creative process of creating art • The art often represents the patients • feelings • experiences • People and things relevant in their lives Many people who participate in Art therapy are given a language they may not have had without art.

4. Art Therapy and Autism • Art therapy is a successful form of communication for several autistic children • It works best for “high functioning” (Evans) autistic patients • It is a non-verbal activity that doesn’t rely on verbal language skills • Requires no artistic skill • Art therapy helps develop, • Social skills • Creative thinking in a safe environment • Self awareness “Individuals with autism can increase their communication skills and develop a sense of self through the process of art therapy (Betts).”

5. Although art therapy is not a communicative solution for all autistic children it does help to shape their non-verbal communication skills. “Art Therapy can help open pathways into underdeveloped areas of the brain and provide an avenue for non-verbal expression (Betts).”

6. How the Artwork is Analyzed? • There are a few ways to analyze the artwork of an autistic patient all are done by the art therapist and the interpretations can vary depending on the art therapist. • Some art therapists can explain the work as it relates to the patient/ artist, for example many patients mimic what they see. • This can also determine whether the patient is building their social skills. • They compare older works with newer works • They also compare the images that the patient draws to the lives of the patient to see why they keep painting the same hat, person, or animal. • Then they would conclude the patient was painting his or her mom, or cat, or their favorite hat • They also look at line control to determine the stress of the patient This allows the patient to do more of the talking and the art therapist determines the relevance of the images on a personal level.

7. More ways to Analyze the Artwork • Some art therapists interpret the symbolism in the artist/ patients work and analyze the symbols that patient uses and what they mean on a universal level. This is a psychoanalytical approach. • While doing this they compare the symbols seen in the patients art to those seen in most art. • They look for small meanings to understand the work as a whole • like what the colors stand for, happy, sad etc. • what certain shapes stand for • Or what kind of animals are they painting, maybe they are painting animals with religious symbolism • they would also look at the content; is it a landscape, portrait, or maybe an abstract piece. This is done similar to a formal analysis which is the way all art is critiqued. This analysis has less to do with the patients individual gains because the art therapist is more concerned in seeing the hidden meanings and there relation universally.

8. Artwork by Autistic Patients Will Bucher 12 years old Autism patient “Art Therapy also helps Individuals with Autism develop a sense of self. Because the individual with autism can have an unstable sense of self, [and] the art therapist can share his or her own sense of reality to support the client (Betts).” Autumn 2000 9x11 watercolor

9. Phillip McMurray7 years oldAutism “When a client creates art he or she is communicating on a symbolic level (Betts)” Tornado 2001 12x18 finger paint and glitter

10. Drawbacks of Art Therapy • It is not 100% accurate • art therapists are not psychics, • No sure way to analyze the artwork or artist • It is still seen as a skeptical form of communication because • it is still new • it does not translate exact words or speech • not seen as a reliable form of facilitated communication • The credibility of the art therapist is very crucial • They must not wrongly analyze the artwork • Use their voice to ‘say’ or ‘suggest’ what is meant by the artist/ work • Or Create a hostile working environment

11. Because there is no definitive way to analyze art therapy patients and their work art therapy is still seen as a skeptical form of communication. The above painting by Magritte is a great example of why art analyses are difficult. However patients who use art therapy with the intention of combining the creative process of art with communication will probably see more successful results. Magritte. Ceci n’est pas une pipe. 1929.

12. Bibliography • Betts, D. J. (2005). The art of art therapy: Drawing individuals out in creative ways. Advocate: Magazine of the Autism Society of America, 26-27. • Betts, D. J. (2003). Developing a projective drawing test: Experiences with the Face Stimulus Assessment (FSA). Art Therapy Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 20(2), 77-82 • Evans, Rachel. “Art Therapy for High Functioning Autism how to get started.” May 2007, Articlebase. http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/art-therapy-for-high-functioning-autism-how-to-get-started-127391.html • http://arttherapyforchildren.com • http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/news/images/mind/artists.html