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The use of Art therapy with ASD teens
Including the use of puppets into art therapy for individuals with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) has begun to show positive results to increase communication, behavior, and
social skills. According to Malhotra, through direct play ASD teens can express and engage in
emotional empathy to help communication (Malhotra, 2019). By using Expressive therapies
Continuum (ETC) model and puppet making, Lisa engaged in an intervention structured to
improve emotions which would ultimately improve communication, behaviors, and social skills
(Malhotra, 2019). Through the lens of a case study, Malhotra explores emotions, interactions,
and self-awareness to help aid in social skills among ASD teens (Malhotra, 2019). Approaching
therapies in this manner not only provides a safe and creative way to expression but it helps
develop advancements in communication, behavior, and social skills in individuals with ASD.
Communication
One key deficit among Children with ASD is communication or language (Boutot, E. A.
(2016). They either have little language, echo adults, or have not language at all (Boutot, E. A.
(2016). This can cause a lot of problems with not only communication but with understanding
and expressing emotion. With guided therapies like Speech ASD individuals learn how to
communicate but sometime still lack in how to express and receive normal relationship
expressions (Boutot, E. A. (2016). Malhotra’s case study shows how the use of guided art
therapy using puppets can help this deficit (Malhotra, 2019). This is done over the course of
several sessions waking through different topics of emotion (Malhotra, 2019). These sessions can
be individual specific or generalized geared to go over one emotion like anger or sadness.
Practicing situations like theses will help the ASD individual navigate and know what to do and
how to react in situations. An example of this would be if some one made an ASD person angry,
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the person instead of the ASD person hitting the person who mad them mad through this therapy
they learn how to use their words to express their anger. Overall, this type of therapy shows
positively on communication with ASD individuals.
Behaviors
ASD is classified as having some sever behaviors that sometimes cannot be controlled
like when a need of a non-verbal ASD person is not being met, they can become aggressive
(Boutot, E. A. (2016). This can be challenge because ASD people sometimes do not have the
ability to say what is bothering them. By using the Puppets, therapies can teach them how to be
able to not only act appropriately but how to express themselves in the right manner as well
(Malhotra, 2019). This can be considered learning through play (Boutot, E. A. (2016). This can
happen by using the puppets to act out guided scenes to show the right way and the wrong way
of handling situation (Malhotra, 2019).
Social Skills
When thinking about social skills the next thought is usually how someone views
someone or how two people may interact like at a store when the cashier asks how your day is
going to be polite. People with ASD often do not know how to respond, carry on a conversation,
or know how to pick up on social cues that typical people do (Boutot, E. A. (2016). For instance,
a baby crying needs attention because they are hurt whereas someone with ASD may hurt the
baby because their crying is hurting their ears. This can be challenging for parents of kids with
ASD as well as the kids with ASD as it can lead to them getting picked on or hurt because of a
missing cue. This study has opened a new door in the way that this can be used to help ASD
individuals over come this deficit by learning and going over these situations and knowing when
to tell when to walk away when to say HI etc. (Malhotra, 2019).
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Conclusion
All in all, this study has shown thar ASD individuals can learn and grow through play
using puppets to help with Emotional, communication, behavioral, and social deficits. Guiding
and showing them the right and wrong ways will help them be able to handle regular teenage
things like relationships, hold jobs, and one day become a productive member of society.
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Reference:
Boutot, E. A. (2016).Autism Spectrum Disorders(2nd ed.). Pearson
Education
(US).https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780133521573
Malhotra, B. (2019). Art therapy with puppet making to promote emotional empathy for
an adolescent with autism.Art Therapy,36(4), 183-
191. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2019.1645500
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