Short Note From The Editor:
I've had the honor of serving and supporting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities for almost 40 years now. I came into the profession at the tail end of deinstitutionalization and the beginning of community support services. As I've been doing research for this blog, I've been impressed by all of the services, supports, resources and information available on autism. Just as important, I've been impressed by the great strides that have been made in human dignity. We still have more work to do. But one thing is certain: this is a profession that should hold its head high---it's done a remarkable job in a very short period of time.
Art and Autism:
For those of us familiar with supporting and serving individuals with autism, it's apparent people with autism exhibit a high degree of creative ability as well as excellence in many areas. It's one of the many reasons why art therapy helps people with autism be more creative. It also helps individuals address some of the other difficulties such as the emotional expressions of frustration and anger. Art therapy, like academics, requires individualized attention. It's imperative to find the right kind of art therapy for each individual. In short, this means developing a plan of treatment specific to an individual. Art therapists usually set goals to target the following areas:Tony Attwood.
- Imagination/Abstract Thinking Deficits
- Sensory Regulation and Integration
- Emotions/Self-Expression
- Developmental Growth
- Recreation/Leisure Skills
- Visual-Spacial Deficits
4 Your Bookshelf:
- The Art of Autism: Shattering Myths about People Living on the Autism Spectrum by Debbi Hosseini.
- Reaching the Child with Autism through Art: Creative Activities that Improve Sensory, Social and Language Skills by Toni Flowers.
- The Girl Who Spoke with Pictures by Eileen Miller.
