Art Therapy  

Art has always been a word that remains in our minds as a question mark. There are many meanings to art and no one satisfactory definition. Art is used in everyday life without our knowing. It releases stress and introduces us to a whole new world. Art helps us to explore and experience, which creates a calm mind.

Art is one of the best ways to understand people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Art therapy is generally described as a highly illuminating, enjoyable, and unique experience. It allows children with ASDs to express what words cannot describe, i.e., anger/ stress, etc. It is also thought to be beneficial to individuals with ASDs due to their intense sensory needs, often nonverbal natures and need for more visual, concrete, hands-on therapies.  Another simple benefit is the development of fine motor skills. Working with clay, for example, helps strengthen the muscles used in handwriting.

The extensive range of symptoms experienced by people with ASDs makes them extremely individual in presentation, so any treatment used must be tailored to a range of varying needs. Through proper training within art therapy, the child is able to perform simple acts such as identifying the locations of art materials, choosing the correct materials needed for specific projects, or knowing how to clean up after completing the projects. Children are also able to gain a trusting relationship to their art therapist that makes it easier to create bonds with siblings, classmates and others.

Is color important?  Yes, it is!  Research suggests that use of certain colors invoke specific emotions and thoughts. Feeling blue? Seeing red? Looking for a silver lining? All of these phrases came about because of the meanings that can be attributed to colors. For example, red symbolizes energy, passion, power, desire, intensity and anger and its uses are thought to combat depression, increase appetite, attract attention, increase energy, and achieve goals. In terms of energy, people with a red aura are often found to be impulsive, stimulating, freedom seeking individuals. Red is used in fast food restaurants to make patrons eat quickly and to increase their appetites. Orange is associated with creativity, confidence, increased intuition, pleasure and adventure. Uses for it are thought to increase creativity and inner dialogue, boost metabolism, elevate mood.  As another warm color, orange contains some intensity and energy in its meaning. Color therapists use orange to open up a person's mind and to allow creative ideas to flow freely. Yellow is associated with cheerfulness, brightness, optimism, warmth, openness and innovation. Its uses are thought to increase mental clarity, release problems and promote enjoyment. Not surprisingly, individuals with yellow auras are known for their sunny dispositions! Yellow crystals are often used to sharpen memory and increase decision making skills. The color green, on the other hand, connotes harmony, balance, growth, tradition, focus and jealousy. Green’s uses are thought to calm nerves, increase compassion, and restore mental and emotional balance. Green falls basically in the middle of the color spectrum, making balance its chief interpretation. Feng shui experts teach the healing and restorative powers of the color green, often using different shades to maximize its healing effects. Every color has a meaning and an explanation behind it and this makes it more beneficial for art therapists, as they can then further interpret the children's behaviors.  On the one hand, colors are nebulous, perhaps open to differing interpretations.  On the other hand, research allows art therapy to make inroads which would be impossible in other, more traditional interventions. 

Early educational intervention is the key to improving the lives and outcomes of individuals with ASDs. All people have a right to experience opportunities that allow them to transform their inner world, and art does just that. Art is the conscious use of skill and creative imagination. When are you an artist? And when are you an artist with a disability?  Howard Gardner, a well-known psychologist whose theory of multiple intelligences suggest that we consider visual-spatial strengths as a special form of cognitive potential, might prefer to use the term "differently abled" .