Art Therapy and Autism

There are growing number of children diagnosed as an Autistic..... What is this Autism we increasingly hear from day to day life nowaday????

'Art therapy and Autism' explains Autism as;
  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a commonly used, non-scientific term (now often used as “autism”) that describes a category comprised of five related neurodevelopmental disorders (DSM-IV):

1. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder,
2. Rett's Disorder,
3. Autistic Disorder,
4. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD),
5. Asperger's Syndrome.

A person with ASD is a person diagnosed with one of these five disorders. The disorders within this “spectrum” are often ordered from low functioning with mental retardation to high functioning (an individual whose intellectual reasoning is unaffected; ex: Asperger's).

What all ASD disorders have in common is the presence of deficits in three main areas to greater or lesser extents: communication, socialization, and imagination, as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive (“stereotyped” or “perseverative”) behaviors and presence of these deficits depends on the individual (their specific diagnosis, personality, and timing of therapy received, family support, etc.).
Hyper- or hypo-sensory sensitivity (tactile, aural, visual, etc.) is common and a huge influence upon the deficit areas listed above. Also obsessive-compulsive behaviors are common, self-injury or aggression toward others, and seizure disorder. 

Art Therapy is increasingly used for a part of ASD treatment because of the believe that art making is beneficial to ASD people (particularly children) due to their intense sensory needs and disregulation, often nonverbal nature, and need for more visual, concrete, hands-on therapies.

Still don't get it?
Now i fund this info.... (from http://autism.about.com/od/autismtherapy101/a/arttherapy.htm)

One of the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorders is difficulty with verbal and social communication. In some cases, people with autism are literally non-verbal: unable to use speech to communicate at all. In other cases, people with autism have a hard time processing language and turning it into smooth, easy conversation. People with autism may also have a tough time reading faces and body language. As a result, they may have difficulty with telling a joke from a statement, or sarcasm from sincerity.

Meanwhile, many people with autism have an extraordinary ability to think visually - "in pictures." Many can turn that ability to good use in processing memories, recording images and visual information, and expressing ideas through drawing or other artistic media. Art is a form of expression that requires little or no verbal interaction which can open doors to communication.

All too often, it's assumed that a non-verbal person or a person with limited verbal capabilities is incompetent in other areas. As a result, people on the autism spectrum may not be exposed to opportunities to use artistic media -- or the opportunities may be too challenging in other ways (in large class settings, for example). Art therapy offers an opportunity for therapists to work one-on-one with individuals on the autism spectrum to build a wide range of skills in a manner which may be more comfortable (and thus more effective) than spoken language.

So, these are the possible list of 6 major ASD treatment goals

• Imagination/abstract thinking deficits
• Sensory regulation and integration
• Emotions/Self-expression
• Developmental Growth
• Recreation/Leisure skills
• Visual-spatial deficits

For more detailed information; go to http://arttherapyandautism.com/index.html  (above infomation is a summary of this noted web-site) 

Im learning so much by writing(editing) this blog!!!! ( '0' )
Why? As i am an art therpist, i should know these thing, don't I????     Well, although my speciality is on children, i work more with immigrant/refugee children often. So i am learning to expand my speciality. Everyday is a challenge and day to learn new things (^_^)

Below is another intro info describing use of creative arts for ASD therapy.

I am more and more excited being one of this 'limitless and exploring' Art therapist!!!!!