Art Therapy for Children with ADHD and Anxiety Disorders

on Feb 19 in Behaviors, Creative Interventions, For Professionals, General Information, Learning, Parent's Corner by

Those of us who have children with ADHD or have worked professionally with children with this disorder know the challenges of trying to engage them in an activity that they can sustain AND use their minds purposefully. I have both; a son with this disorder and I have had clinical cases with this disorder. As a parent of a child with this disorder, I know that giving my son opportunities to build his self-esteem is a very important aspect to sustainable focus. In other words, when the child can gain mastery in a particular activity, their confidence builds and hence they ”stick with it”.

 

The arts can be a great vehicle in this endevour. Engaging in creative activities such as art, music and dance have been shown to help children with ADHD calm down because it utilizes the part of the brain that controls emotions. When the emotions are under control, the focusing can be much easier. Most of us have experienced this; when we are upset about a personal issue….isn’t hard to concentrate at work? So, therefore reaching the emotional brains through the arts can infact increase focus.

 

Basically, children with ADHD find it difficult to slow down their minds and bodies in order to concentrate on basic activities. When use art based activities, we usually see a shift in mood. The creative mind helps most children (and adults) get to a focused state of “being in the flow”. If we in fact find the right fit of a creative activity, we can truely help the child with attentional issues have a fuller experience of engaement as well as see them feeling happy and confident.

 

For similar reasons, children suffering from other anxiety based disorders and issues can also benefit from creative activities and art therapy. When they become involved with expressing their feelings in a creative way, they are too busy and focused to be concerned about negative thoughts, the passage of time, or other distractions. Of course , this does not happen right away……we must build trust and assess the develolmental level of the child in order to offer the right approach.

 

I beleive in a flexible structure based on the needs of the child. Some children with ADHD will need more more breaks, specific times to complete a task, reminders about impulses and behaviors, etc…. Overall, the benefits of art therapy are the ways in which it can access the right brain and allow the child to be in the creative process; even within a structured environment. In addition when working with several children in a small group, we can involve cooperative art making which enhances social skills and communication; all things that children with ADHD can use.

Things to keep in mind:

1) Allow for choice and try to find something that interests the child

2) Limit the amount of art materials that are offered- it can over stimualte the child

3) Create structure for the child such as time limitations, behaviors that are not to be tolerated and scheduled breaks

4) Use praise when child completes the task, prompt child to remain on task when distractions take over

5) Encourage expression about feelings; acknowledge when they are frustrated and support their process

Let Your Fingers Do the Artmaking

on Dec 13 in Creative Interventions, For Professionals, General Information, Sensory Intergration by

Many years ago, while attending an Art Therapy conference I went to an Open Studio where I participated in a technique called “Touch Drawing”. The artist, Deborah Koff-Chapin who created this unique approach to artmaking still offers workshops and literature out in California. Her work is beautiful and etheral.

You can see a video demo on her website http://touchdrawing.com/2TouchDrawing/TDdemo.html

I recently decided  to re-explore this technique and began dabbling with touch drawing again. I thought that the tactile qualities of tough drawing might be an interesting material to try with the children and families that I work with that have mild ASD. In Open Studio, we had some children who had mild tactile defensiveness which proved to be an non-issue after offering the Touch Drawing!

I think this creative modality serves the child very well, as it has the ability to be very “hands-on” (literally) and yet is not as messy as traditional finger painting. In addition, there are ways to create texture and layers that allow the artist to experiment and discover new ways of expression. All ages can do this!

 

Here is the technique, as Deborah Koff Chapin describes:

Materials
• Oil paint or printing ink in any colors you like. We recommend water mixable student grade oil paints.
• Printmaking roller(brayer) is used to roll the paint smooth.
• A smooth, nonabsorbent surfacelike glass, plastic or dry erase board is used for a drawing surface.
•Plenty of paper; very lightweight like wrapping tissue is good but anything will work.

Doing Touch Drawing Yourself
• Put a small amount of paint on the drawing board. It is best to start with one color.
• Roll the paint smoothand place a sheet of paper on top of the paint.
• Touch the paper with your fingernails, fingertips and palms. Try using both hands some of the time.
• Become aware of body sensations and trace them on the paper. They might be abstract patterns or images.
• Lay the drawings on top of one another as they are done.
• Roll the board smooth between drawings. Only add paint after a few drawings.
• Draw whatever you feel in the moment. They do not have to be ‘pretty pictures’.
• The longer you stay with it, the deeper you will go.
• When you are finished drawing, roll the paint smooth and leave it to dry.

I recommend doing some touch drawing :)

 

Pamela Ullmann, MS, ATR-BC, LCAT

Not having all the answers when working with ASD

on Nov 13 in For Professionals, General Information, Learning by

As I observed a young boy with Autism in one of our groups, I kept trying to “figure him out”. Why does he flutter his hands? What makes him jumpy or make the sounds that he does? How can we get him to participate with the others in the art therapy process? As clinicians, we are always looking for the right approach or mix or perhaps the right ”connection” to the child. But what I am discovering is that maybe those answers will not be avaialble any time soon- so in the meantime I think that focusing on the journey with the child and staying with the unanswered questions can be the enough for the moment. It may feel as if we are not connecting or making progress, but as with all therapeutic processes the subleties can pave the way.

 

Here are some points to keep in mind when working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

 

1) Remember that Autism is a challenging disorder and there will be a lot of tough days, so go easy on yourself.

 

2) Meet the child where they are at that moment in time. Sense the energy level and try to empathize with their potential discomforts. If the energy is high and overstimulating, offer calming activities with little pressure.

 

3) If the child’s voice or level of verbal sounds is loud….do not try to “speak over them” but rather lower your voice and calmly wait for them to see that you are trying to communicate with them, this takes patience. But, very often they will want to hear you and will become quieter in order to listen.

 

4) Sometimse offering a light touch or contact to their should or back may get their attention, calm them or regulate their energy. But be careful to ask the child if it is ok to touch them as it can be misread and there may be issues with touch.

 

5) Be aware of bright lights, loud outside noises or other stimulating sources in the environment. See if dimming lights helps, or adding soft music to the room helps. You can also teach the child to do deep breathing….this sometimes works wonders, espsecially if you make it into a game or use bubbles.

 

So, although we may not have all the answers to everything about how and why the child behaves a certain way or can’t seem to connect to his peers or to us, we can relax a bit and just try to be available for the child as best we can. As we travel the journey, an answer or two may just appear when its supposed to.

 

 

Creative Group Work with Children on the Spectrum

on Sep 26 in Creative Interventions, For Professionals, General Information, Learning by

When working with groups, it is just as important to always remain flexible and to adapt to the different levels of functioning displayed by each child. Sometimes providing a theme to the art making helps give the children a focus while still allowing for changes and flexibility. Here is an example of a group art therapy directive with that incorporates all three key treatment areas (communication, socialization, and imagination). This format can be adapted to other art activities. The session is structured to have a beginning, middle and end, with clear boundaries. This structure is especially effective for children with autism because it serves as a comforting routine. Aides or volunteers are used in a ratio appropriate or the level of functioning and the individual needs of each group member.

An Example of a group art therapy directive with ASD

Theme: Friendship

• Directive: Create images related to friendship, friends, and children. Group project (mural) will be included.

• Beginning of session: Have children sit at table and introduce theme/project. Show pictures related to friendship and see verbal and nonverbal reactions to photos. Ask children to design their own “friend” (using multicultural outlines of gingerbread style figures). Offer a variety of pre-cut papers, fun googly-eyes and drawing materials as well. Encourage sharing of materials, and recognizing each other’s work.

• Middle of session: Invite children to help decorate a group friendship poster/mural by adding their “friend” to the paper and continue to fill in the environment where the friends can play. Offer “starters” (such as some outlines of trees or grass) and direct aides to help children. Assess how children are working together – whether they are staying contained in work area or are becoming over-stimulated. Allow children to take short breaks with their aides if needed.

• Closure: Offer children some free time to play creatively with sensory materials such as model magic or some drawing with crayons or markers.Then, if the group is still focused (and there are verbally-expressive children participating), conduct a “sharing circle” where they will be encouraged to describe their friend to the group or ask about another group member’s work.

• Goals and Outcomes:

1. Children will learn about “working together.”

2. Children will learn social skills and group awareness by sharing materials and comments

3. Children will experience the sensory aspects of collage, texture, and art materials.

4. Children will have choices and be able to express creatively.

Bear in mind that working with this population can be very challenging. What works for one session or child may not for another. It is important to remain open-minded and aware of each child’s status in each moment; in essence, we are constantly assessing, adapting, and co-creating our sessions with the children with whom we work.