There is a lot we can do as therapists and teachers to support the mental health of young people on the spectrum by discovering, appreciating and supporting the art they create when they are not with us, at home. It is well known that some of the world’s most original creators of art have autism. Many more individuals on the spectrum, including quite a few young people in our therapy offices and classrooms, are also dedicated practitioners of art. Here are some reasons to explore the art of a young person with autism. ~ To help children to more fully appreciate fully their own unique interests, perspectives and talents. People with mind differences might not value their own creativity. In fact, they may believe that their unusual art is just one more thing that makes them weird and different. When people make something that is amazing, they should be made aware of its essential worth. If a child uses a glue gun to fashion new superheroes out of discarded old action figures, or makes alien monsters out of aluminum foil, or creates an imaginary “family” of cartoon characters on their computer, they should know that their work has special value. ~ To gain insights enabling us to help them more effectively. For example, seeing a sketchbook full of Harry Potter-themed art might help a therapist expand their therapy session repertoire to include social skills lessons Hermione offered to Harry and Ron at Hogwarts. ~ To better understand imaginary thinking, and bring to light aspects of fantasy worlds that are helpful or potentially problematic. Art by a young person based on their private, imaginary world could turn out to be something you, the therapist, might encourage as a useful source of relaxation and recharging. Alternatively, you might discover that the creative, imaginary activity has taken dominion over so much of the young person’s time and energy that it arrests their personal development and adversely influences their mental health. (To learn more about autism and imaginary worlds, see my separate post on that topic). ~ To encourage a child’s own efforts to creatively and independently expand their own social-emotional learning. It is not uncommon for children receiving social-emotional teaching from school or a therapist to amplify or reinterpret their learning through their own art at home. For example, this young artist below created a new chapter for my book, The Conversation Train Book . [images provided for website display by the child and his parent] From my own experience as a therapist, there are so many other examples of children artistically working on therapy issues on their own at home. One child fashioned decorated conversation tools such as a “communication tube” out of cardboard. Another child invented and drew humanized dog characters that experience social adjustment problems. Joel Shaul, LCSW Part 1: Reasons to use art in social & emotional teaching. Some guiding principles & professional concerns. Part 2: Assigning individual drawing tasks for social & emotional learning. Part 3: Assigning collaborative drawing tasks for social learning. Part 4: Coloring & decorating to add interest & levity to social & emotional learning. Part 5: Creative use of others’ images and AI for social & emotional learning. Part 6: Encouraging & validating the child’s own artistic expression in therapy & teaching.
This content was originally published here.