Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger's: Using Artistic Creativity to Reach, Teach, and Touch Our Children
Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger's: Using Artistic Creativity to Reach, Teach, and Touch Our Children
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Overview
It is no easy task to find a teaching technique that can truly change the course of a child with special needs. Thirty years ago, when Janet Tubbs began working with children who had low self-esteem and behavioral problems, she developed a successful program using art, music, and movement. Believing that unconventional children required unconventional therapies, she then took her program one step further—she applied it to children with autism, ADD/ADHD, and Asperger’s Syndrome. Her innovative methods and strategies not only worked, but they actually defied the experts. In this new book, Janet Tubbs has put together a powerful teaching tool to help parents, therapists, and teachers work with their children.
Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger's is divided into two parts. Part One provides an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders and introduces and explains Janet’s novel approach to teaching. Her goal is to balance the child’s body, mind, and spirit through proven techniques. Part Two provides a wide variety of exercises, activities, and games that are both fun and effective. Each is designed to reduce hyperactivity, increase and prolong focus, decrease anger, develop fine motor skills, or improve social and verbal skills. All are part of a program created to help these children relate to their environment without fear, anxiety, or discomfort.
A child may appear stubborn and difficult, but that doesn’t mean that the child isn’t intelligent, curious, or creative. With the right treatment, such a child can be reached, taught, and set on the road to improvement. The lessons provided in this book may be just what you and your child have been waiting for.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780757053009 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Square One Publishers |
| Publication date: | 05/10/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 939 KB |
About the Author
Janet Tubbs began working with special needs children in 1977, and developed a unique approach to reaching children who had low self-esteem and behavioral problems. In 1984, Janet expanded her program to include children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and ADD/ADHD. In the same year, she
established the Children’s Resource Center, a nonprofit organization for children with special needs. Janet has helped thousands of children and trained hundreds of teachers and parents throughout North America.
Read an Excerpt
Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger's
Using Artistic Creativity to Reach, Teach, and Touch our Children
By Janet Tubbs
Square One Publishers
Copyright © 2008
Janet Tubbs
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7570-0300-4
Chapter One Unlocking Your Child's Hidden World
Autism, a serious neurological disorder, was first identified over fifty years ago. For the first few decades, a relatively small number of physicians knew of it. For too long the clinical treatment of children with neurological disorders was off-limits to parents, who were given scant information about what actually had taken place behind closed doors. It was for the professional to know what was being done for-or to-the child, and parents were patronizingly believed to be unable to comprehend such advanced thinking. This book changes that outmoded practice by providing you, the parent, with tools and techniques necessary to work with your child in your home.
Today we can learn about autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Asperger's Syndrome (three common disorders on the Autism Spectrum) from Internet message boards, chat rooms, newsletters, support groups, and books. Parents are educating themselves about their child's disorder and therapies that are available to them. However, few know that they can implement most methods in their own home once they learn which are the most effective for their son or daughter and how to use them.
There are methods of reaching children on the Autism Spectrum, and in this chapter, we will explore the three elements that make up your child's world: body, mind, and spirit. If just one of those elements is out of balance with the other two, disorder may prevent the assimilation of the whole child. You will learn how to take a proactive role in your child's improvement by recognizing that you have the right and responsibility to take on a major part of his therapy. For the most effective results, you will want a therapy program designed to combine the creative arts and the healing arts. Creative arts are designated in this book as art, energetic drawing, music, rhythmic massage, sculpture, puppetry, and handwork, e.g. knitting. (Initially, it was believed that music was the only form of effective therapy available.) Healing arts may include physical and psychological testing, nutritional consultation, and medical treatment. These will all be discussed in subsequent chapters.
By using a combination of methods as you work with your child, you will see significant changes including improvement in fine motor, verbal, and social skills. In this chapter you will learn how children with ADD, autism, and Asperger's Syndrome are different from their peers. You will then have another key to their hidden world, which will help you to help them function on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Parents who participate in their child's therapy play an enormous part in his growth and development. Everyone who participates in at-home therapy will have a sense of contribution, achievement, and excitement as results are seen. It is a big step for you to assume a large part of your child's treatment, one that may be intimidating at first. You will need strength, time, presence of mind, and courage of heart to accept that responsibility, but the rewards will far outweigh the time and effort you are investing in your child's growth.
As you continue reading and exploring unfamiliar territory, you will become more confident and at peace with yourself and your child. Although improvement may seem glacially slow, it helps to keep in mind that all changes are not immediately visible. Also, your child has set patterns and he may resist change. Children with autism typically like routine. Your child may signal his resistance by crying or ignoring all efforts to communicate. Be patient. As you persist in learning about this disorder, you will realize that your child is one of many who are autistic, a fact that is reassuring to all family members.
Adults often do not like change, either, so adapting to a holistic approach and new ideas about the various arts may be foreign to you and, at first, seem an insurmountable challenge. However, you will soon understand and become more familiar with what will be a new and exciting approach to reaching your child and helping him develop to his fullest potential.
HOW CAN YOU HELP YOUR CHILD?
If you are like most parents, you probably have asked, "Why did this happen to my child?" It is a first response for most people. After the shock of a diagnosis wears off, the next question should be-and remain-"How can I help my child?" It may take a while to find the right combination of psychologist, pediatrician, and/or therapist you feel is absolutely right for your child and his particular disorder. If at any time, for any reason, you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to see someone else. It is your feeling nature, your sensitivity or intuition that is guiding you, so trust it, keep looking, and you will find a perfect match.
You can play a big part in the overall improvement in your child by working with him at home every day. Make it a game instead of a chore. Be a child again and get down to his level, on the floor and on your stomach as you paint or color. Don't tower over him like an ogre, telling him what to do. Instead be with him and have fun. It's much easier for him to look at you when you are at eye level than if you are several feet above him.
Siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and other family members can all participate in a child's improvement by painting, playing memory games, dancing, massaging, and talking with him. The goal is to keep him constantly stimulated mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A child needs continual activity that alternates between passive and active times. That is, cuddling while reading a story and then coloring, or alternating massage with kicking a ball. It is important to change his perception of the environment by moving from the dining room table to the floor to standing at an easel and then to a small child's table. In each setting his eyes and limbs are using different muscles as he observes his surroundings with a new perspective. When a child is kept involved, he is unable to retreat to his inner world. His time spent in activities begins to increase and he spends less time within and isolated.
It is vital to your child's improvement that you talk all the time with him as you work together. Talk about anything. Be enthusiastic and descriptive about things you have done and places you have been. Engage him and ask questions. He may not answer verbally but you will have triggered an internal response. Don't hesitate to talk to your child if he seems inattentive or uninterested, because he is listening to and hearing everything that is said, which can stimulate a desire to emulate you.
Engage your child in activities that address his mind, his body, and his spirit. This means physical exercise, even if it's moving slightly to music or going for a walk because his muscles need movement. Stimulate him mentally by talking to him and asking questions. Surround him with the spiritual qualities of truth, beauty, and goodness. This is done in many ways by being a role model. Your child will absorb your morals, ethics, and love of the arts without lessons or lectures, and these attributes will become second nature. The importance of various art forms and suggestions for creative exercises will be discussed in detail later in the book. The methods described in this book will help your child to control what is within his power to control and to strengthen his areas of weakness.
Fill your home with color, music, and soft words; all of these are necessary to your child's feeling nature or sensitivity. Combined with necessary physical care and remedial therapies, a home free of arguments and yelling creates the most positive environment for the blossoming young child. By taking an industrious role and working with him as often as possible, each day you will be keeping his three-fold nature active. You will be helping him to grow safely into a healthy life.
Working parents obviously can't spend all day working with their child. The next best thing is to tell caregivers and therapists the procedures you would like to have implemented while in your home. In a clinical setting, therapists may be willing to include some of these methods in their sessions.
You can take an assertive role by eliminating electronic gadgets and toys that do all of your kids' thinking for them. Reduce or eliminate television and encourage your children to rely on their creativity and interaction with siblings and peers for entertainment. As parents, you will have to rely on your own ingenuity and imagination to spur the interest of your child. This can be daunting at first, but you will soon find that you are having fun while helping your child to improve his skills.
WHAT IS THE AUTISM SPECTRUM?
The Autism Spectrum is the term for a range of neurological disorders, classified from mild to severe, from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) to Asperger's Syndrome to what is known as "classic autism." Think of the Spectrum as a straight line with a dot at each end and one in the middle. Although along the bar there are other, less common disorders, this book will focus on these three increasingly prevalent ones. The dot at the left end is ADD, the mildest form of neurological disorder in the Spectrum. At the far right is classic autism, the most involved or severe form of these disorders. In the middle of this hypothetical line is a dot for Asperger's Syndrome, which has some characteristics of ADD and some of autism but does fit properly into either category.
Children with ADD are easily distracted and have trouble focusing on tasks unless it's something of great interest. ADD children are often accused of daydreaming and are restless in school because they are bored. They love to explore but sometimes their enthusiasm is distracting to other children. If they are overly active, running around the classroom, constantly at the window to see what's going on outside, or in general disrupting the teacher, they are known as "hyperactive" and labeled as having ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Right in the middle of our invisible bar is Asperger's Syndrome, which has become increasingly prevalent as it is being more easily recognized. The immediately noticeable signs of an "Aspie," as kids with Asperger's Syndrome like to call themselves, are obsessions with things like timetables and train and plane schedules, a fiery temper, and poor social skills. Aspies are intriguing, challenging, funny, brilliant, and often moody. They are very creative but usually have a short attention span, like kids with ADD. They start to do something, are attracted to something else, and never finish what they started. On the more serious side, Aspies often threaten to harm themselves or others. Until a decade or so ago, kids with Asperger's Syndrome (most commonly boys) were thought to be unruly trouble makers who simply needed discipline.
At the far right of the bar is classic autism, the most severe condition on the Spectrum. There are different degrees of autism, but the most common form is slightly to the left of the edge of the bar. Children in this range are very intelligent, observant, and sensitive to their surroundings, and are not given enough credit for their intelligence. They hear and understand everything that is taking place around them. Everything registers even though they may give no outward sign of hearing, seeing, or understanding anything. Children with autism may be non-verbal, shun receiving or giving affection, and may not look you in the eye. They may have elective mutism, literally shutting off their hearing because the noise in their environment is unbearably loud and painful.
Current statistics estimate that 1 in every 150 American children is diagnosed with autism. In the United Kingdom, the statistic is 1 in 84. Autism is a life-altering problem that can have a profound impact upon a child's behavior, learning ability, and future-as well as the lives of family members.
While each disorder on the Autism Spectrum shares one or more characteristics of autism, they are each separate and distinct. Despite the severity of symptoms, most children on the Spectrum are intelligent and observant. It may appear otherwise because of an inability to verbalize their thoughts, needs, love, fear, pain, and anger, but at a deep spiritual level, they are very much aware. Perhaps the body or the brain doesn't quite "work," yet the spirit shines through. It may show in their eyes, a slight smile, or their body language when they are engaged in an activity they enjoy or listening intently to someone or something that has attracted their attention.
FINDING THE KEY TO THE AUTISTIC CHILD
A child with autism is an enigma, a puzzle that is waiting to be solved. Although there are many things we don't know about this disorder, we do know that autistics respond to all forms of art, something that can originate only from a sensitive or feeling nature. How can we unlock the puzzle of autism when children live for the most part totally within themselves, isolated from physical, verbal, or visual contact with other people? We begin by being observant because they will show definite, if almost imperceptible, pleasure from painting or listening to music. Your child may be more attentive when you play one piece of music rather than others. He may listen more closely when you describe a trip to a state park where you saw deer and waterfalls. Obviously there is something stirring in children when they are actively or passively involved with the arts. The goal of remedial and creative therapies is to stimulate that inner "something" with purposeful exercises and techniques that embrace the child's three-fold nature of body, mind, and spirit. Without this synergy or harmonious collaboration, it is impossible for anyone to reach his fullest potential.
As you learn to do this, it is important to talk with your child and tell him that you love him. However, it's equally important that you teach by example. For example, don't just say "I love you." Show it in very definite ways. Be gentle and speak softly. Think good thoughts, because "thoughts are things." We all project energy constantly, and if you do one thing but think another, your child will know. If you say, for example, "Let's play your favorite music! Wouldn't that be fun?" but you're thinking, "If I have to listen to that one more time I will scream!" you aren't fooling him. If you tell him you love and respect him but talk disparagingly about him while he is in the next room, you have forgotten his incredibly sensitive hearing. If people did that to us, we would refuse to associate with them-but your child can't do that, so he closes down further and retreats to his own safe, hidden world.
Children need to be included in conversation and never talked about in their presence as if they were incapable of understanding what is being said. Children with this neurological disorder not only understand but feel and sense deeply. We know this from boys and girls who have suddenly begun to speak or communicate through writing. Parents tend to think that what they say to their child doesn't register because he doesn't reply. In reality, he soaks up everything-good and bad-like a sponge. For this reason, your home needs to be a haven, a place of refuge for everyone in the family, but especially for a child with special needs.
As you read this book, you will discover many ways to help your child attain wholeness. You will read how to excite the feeling nature of your child by immersing him in color, classical music, pleasant surroundings, intelligent conversation, good books, humor, and love. Every child will bloom in this environment, and children with autism are no different. They not only like it; they need it because feelings are nourishment to the spirit as food is to the physical body. To nourish the whole child-physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually-we must remember that he absorbs everything he sees, hears, touches, tastes, and senses. Children thrive as their feeling nature is energized by the truth, beauty, and goodness in their lives.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger's by Janet Tubbs Copyright © 2008 by Janet Tubbs. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
A Note on Gender,
Introduction,
Part One: A Creative Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders
1. Unlocking Your Child’s Hidden World,
2. Finding the Keys to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Exploring Possible Causes and Treatments,
3. Autism--Putting the Pieces Together,
4. Attention Deficit Disorder--Recognizing a Gifted Child,
5. Asperger's Syndrome: The Middle of the Bar,
6. Nutrition--Eating With Consciousness,
7. The Spiritual Meaning of Art,
8. Taking the Mystery Out of Temperaments,
9. Fairy Tales--The Hidden Truths,
10. The Latent Power of Music,
11. The Inner Nature of Color,
12. Speech and Hearing,
13. The Power of Puppetry,
14. Supplemental Therapies,
Part Two: Activities to Enrich Body, Mind, and Spirit
Drawing Exercises (Chapter 7),
Exercises Following Fairy Tales (Chapter 9),
Exercises With Music (Chapter 10),
Exercises With Color (Chapter 11),
Verbalization Activity (Chapter 12),
Exercises In Puppetry (Chapter 13),
Activity Using Movement and Sound (Chapter 14),
Exercises Not Associated With Specific Chapters,
Conclusion,
Additional Resources,
References,
Index,
Preface
Do you sometimes have the feeling that your child is different from her siblings or other children her age? She may have odd mannerisms, like spinning a spoon on the floor for hours or having a tantrum if you decide to take a different route to the store. She might insist on having her crayons lined up in a row and won’t look you in the eye. In fact, she may have stopped talking and not want you to hug her anymore. If you can relate to any of these unusual behaviors, you are not alone.
We all want our children to be “perfect,” but sometimes they aren’t. It is second nature for friends to compare their children, hoping theirs is taller or smarter than the rest of the toddlers in child care or nursery school. When they aren’t, we are told that they will catch up and that some babies are slower than others. You cling to that, all the while knowing that something isn’t quite right with your child. You don’t want to believe that there could be anything wrong. Even when the pediatrician recommends testing, you resist; it might prove that your worst fears are realized.
Your daughter’s kindergarten teacher may call for yet another meeting about her annoying behavior. This time you are told that she has to be removed from the school for pinching, biting, kicking, and insolence. When the teacher says your daughter needs help, you are defensive, but after a great deal of thought and consideration, you finally agree that at times she is out of control. Your search begins for something quick and easy that will make her behave more like other girls her age.
Your doctor may recommend testing by a psychologist or a Developmental Pediatrician, and while you are apprehensive, you feel sure whatever it is can be easily fixed with a shot or a pill to make the symptoms disappear. You are still relatively calm about the outcome, but when the specialist tells you that your child has a neurological disorder, probably autism, you are suddenly thrust into a world you didn’t know existed. You will likely experience a range of emotions from disbelief to anger to overwhelming despair.
It is important to understand that you are not alone. Help is out there for you and your child, whether in a clinical setting or through support groups. You will find many parents who have been in your situation and who are eager to help you through this difficult time. Once you get past that initial shock, it is natural to want to learn everything about this disorder so you can help your child.
You will find that there are millions of boys and girls with autism and soon recognize the symptoms in your child and other children. You will also discover that in addition to autism, there are other related neurological disorders, known as Autism Spectrum Disorders, which are increasingly common and easily recognized, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Asperger’s Syndrome. These two disorders share some of the characteristics of autism, but are clearly separate and distinct classifications.
THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
As you read the following chapters, you will learn about the Autism Spectrum, a medical term for several disorders that are similar but not identical. Think of the Spectrum as a straight line with a dot at each end and one in the middle. The one at the left end is ADD, the mildest form of neurological disorders in this category of “Spectrum.” At the far right is classic autism, the most involved or severe form of these disorders. In the middle of this hypothetical bar is a dot for Asperger’s Syndrome, which has some characteristics of ADD and some of autism.
Along the bar are other, less common disorders, but this book will focus only on autism, ADD, and Asperger’s, all of which are being increasingly recognized on a daily basis. As you read this book, you will become familiar with the characteristics of each and see where they may overlap. Most kids with ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) have allergies--as do kids with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
The brains of all of these children are different from “typical” children. They think differently, and when this uniqueness is understood, we can see that they may well be gifted and misunderstood. One specific gift that these three groups of children have in common is a sensitive, creative, artistic inner life that blooms when they are given the opportunity to see, feel, sense, and participate in various forms of art.
ADD children are often accused of daydreaming and are restless in school because they are bored. If they are overly active, running around the classroom, or in general disrupting the teacher, they are known as “hyperactive” and labeled as having ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (Throughout this book, the closely related conditions of ADD and ADHD are frequently lumped together as “ADD” to avoid long and awkward phrasing of sentences. References to ADD are not meant to exclude ADHD unless specifically noted.)
The usual recommendation of a teacher is to medicate them with Ritalin or other drugs to make them conform to the behavior of the other students. This may offer short-term solutions but we don’t know the long-term effects of these psychotropic drugs. There are many natural or homeopathic remedies that have proven helpful, along with artistic, creative, and remedial therapies that do not minimize the child’s individuality. In Chapter 4 you will learn about ADD and ADHD and the signs you’ve noticed, but may have tended to overlook. “Boys will be boys” explains their constant activity and chatter up to a certain point--at which time it is impossible to ignore inappropriate behavior.
Right in the middle of our invisible bar is Asperger’s Syndrome, which has been increasing dramatically in prevalence as it is becoming more widely recognized. The immediately noticeable signs of an “Aspie,” as kids with Asperger’s like to call themselves, are obsessions with things like timetables and train and plane schedules, a fiery temper, and poor social skills. They are very creative but usually have a short attention span like kids with ADD. This can be irritating to parents, who think they’re just being stubborn or rebellious. The great thing about kids with Asperger's is that once they have your respect, they are eager to establish a relationship with you that is based on mutual trust and understanding. From then on the majority of their learning is gleaned from conversation and dialogue. You, the parent, will be the educator, therapist, and confidant.
Until a decade or so ago, kids with Asperger's Syndrome were thought to be unruly trouble makers who simply needed discipline. Parents were gossiped about and filled with guilt, thinking they were terrible mothers and fathers. They were regularly called in for conferences at school and told that their child—usually a boy—was a disruptive influence in the class because he yells out answers to questions instead of raising his hand to be recognized. On the more serious side, Aspies often threaten to harm themselves or others. Because they will listen and communicate with someone who is trusted--whether a parent or therapist--it is relatively easy to talk with them about their feelings and help them work through the stress with puppets, art, writing, and a lot of compassionate dialogue.
At the far right of the bar is classic autism, the most severely affected of all children on the Spectrum. There are different degrees of autism. The most common form of autism is slightly to the left on the bar. These children are very intelligent, observant, and sensitive to their surroundings, and are not given enough credit for their intelligence. They hear and understand everything that is taking place around them, even though they may give no outward sign of hearing, seeing, or understanding anything. They may have elective mutism, where they literally shut off their hearing because the noise in their environment is unbearably loud and painful.
If you have been told your child has autism, it is most definitely not the end of the world. On the contrary, it is the beginning of a new world for the entire family. Yes, it will be difficult, and you will often wonder if your child will ever hug you or look directly at you, instead of at the middle of your forehead. You will ask if your child is always going to be hyperactive or lethargic, talkative or non-verbal.
With all of your concerns and doubts, you will still have times when you know beyond all doubt that your child hears and understands what you are saying. You will see flashes of awareness that are usually hidden and feel encouraged that there is someone “in there” that can be reached. You will find that your child can be reached with the creative, remedial therapies in this book.
APPROACHING THE PROBLEM
The purpose of this book is to show you how to help your child reach her fullest potential through mutual respect, verbal and non-verbal communication, and an understanding of the power of the creative arts. The first step is to believe that there’s a purpose to her life with autism, just as there’s a purpose to all life. When we believe that, accepting the diagnosis is less difficult. The second step is to realize that since your child is untraditional (compared to whatever the norm is), traditional therapies aren’t as effective as they could be. She needs something that will speak to her spiritual nature.
The third step is knowledge of the three-fold nature of a human being: body, mind, and soul. There are many books about working with our body, with our mind, or with our soul, but finding one that speaks to all three of these elements as a cohesive whole is difficult. And trying to find this information for a child with autism, ADD, ADHD, or Asperger's can be even more daunting. This book stresses the spiritual nature of a child for one reason: Without it the child can never be complete. It is the sensitive, feeling, spiritual nature that propels the other two elements of body and mind to function to the best of their ability.
If one of those three aspects is missing, we’re unbalanced and out of alignment. Think of such imbalance in your family as having a car with a wobbly left wheel. It works and gets you where you’re going if you stay under 40 mph, but all of the passengers are jostled and shaken if you want to speed up a little. You finally accept that you need professional help and so you search for a good mechanic who can fix the wheel. This may take time but when you find one you trust, she tells you there’s a broken axel that has to be replaced first. This is a setback mentally, emotionally, and to the budget, because the entire procedure may be expensive. But the end result will be a smooth ride with the kids sleeping peacefully in the back instead of punching and yelling at each other.
Your child’s spiritual nature is the “wobbly wheel” that is put back into alignment. Conventional therapies, as we know them, treat only the body or only the mind. Some treat both, but it’s rare to find an effective therapy that treats all three: body, mind, and soul. It’s your child’s spiritual nature that flashes through in times of joy or interest. It’s this aspect that is moved by classical music or beautiful colors and encourages her to paint wonderful pictures. In this book, you will learn to look beyond the obvious, to know that there’s a spiritual part of your child that is responding to everything you say, do, and yes--think.
As a child, music, singing, dance, and puppetry fascinated me. In addition to being a hospital administrator, my father was a puppeteer and amateur magician. His “tricks” intrigued me, and at the tender age of ten, I became his assistant. The rabbit my father pulled from the hat during an evening performance was my pet during the day. His sleights of hand and materializations were illusions, and I knew there was something else that the audience wasn’t seeing that was actually influencing the outcome of my father’s “amazing” tricks. The fact that they were tricks and he was a master illusionist prompted me from that time to look beyond the obvious. We’ve all heard the sayings, “You can’t tell a book from its cover” and “Things aren’t always what they seem.” These phrases apply to just about everything, but they have great significance when we consider children on the Autism Spectrum because we have a sense that these boys and girls are much more aware than they may seem.
As a parent, you’ve probably seen moments of awareness, understanding, and humor in your child that surprised and delighted you. We have to look beyond the obvious, and in autism, the obvious is the body and mind, with one’s spiritual nature being hidden and unobtrusive. When all three are synchronized, we have an integrated human being, which is the goal of each of us. This holistic approach is key to understanding autism, Asperger’s, and ADD since the most common therapies only address a child through the physical or mental states.
Parental involvement is paramount to the success of remedial and creative therapies because parents can facilitate changes in their child by using many of the same techniques a therapist does. As a parent, you can help your child by being actively involved in programs designed by therapists, and on a daily basis, you can continue the momentum gained in the weekly sessions.
When parents accept responsibility for their child and want to work with her at home, both mothers and fathers have the opportunity to take part in the process. This is especially important for those who may have limited contact with their child due to work demands or other reasons.
Another advantage of working with the child at home is involvement of the extended family of relatives. Most want to help but do not know how, or think that only a therapist can work with a child on the Spectrum. Anyone can do the basic exercises provided in Part Two of this book and utilize techniques of therapists if they understand the reasoning behind using music, art, drawing, massage, speech, music, toning, and sensory integration. Siblings can have a part in their brother’s or sister’s therapy through play, which helps create a stronger bond between them.
Grandparents often feel “out of the loop” because Autism Spectrum Disorders are relatively new and unfamiliar to them. They have little or no frame of reference and when they see abnormal behavior in their grandchildren, they tend to be puzzled, irritated, and impatient. By being actively involved, they are educating themselves in what may have been perceived as mere lack of discipline or perhaps mental retardation. They begin to enjoy the hands-on participation and feel a sense of accomplishment and empowerment.
When the family all works together in an integrative process that includes teachers, therapists, and medical professionals, the child improves because her three-fold nature of body, mind, and soul is brought into balance to create a healthy, whole child.
WHAT’S IN THIS BOOK
The untraditional approach described in this book has been successfully used with my clients for over twenty-five years. In Part One you will learn about the characteristics of children on the Autism Spectrum, and the theories, research, and treatments of these neurological disorders.
Chapter 1 will provide you with a better understanding of the three-fold nature of a whole person--body, mind, and soul.
Possible causes for the prevalence of autism, as well as potential remedies, will be presented in Chapter 2.
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 explain the criteria for diagnoses, and typical characteristics, of children with various Spectrum Disorders.
Chapter 6 will discuss the importance of good nutrition for Spectrum kids.
Chapter 7 explores the importance of art in our lives, the innate spirituality of artistic creation, and benefits of Art Therapy.
You’ll learn about the four temperaments in Chapter 8. Of particular interest will be how to identify which of the four temperaments is most apparent in your child, and the most effective ways of reaching and teaching each one.
Chapter 9 explores the tremendously positive impact of fairy tales on young minds.
The spiritual connection with music cannot be ignored. Chapter 10 explains the benefits of Music Therapy, and how rhythm is everywhere.
Color is something that is largely taken for granted. However, as Chapter 11 will explain, it has a hidden impact on our lives, and color can be used therapeutically to help children in varied ways.
Children on the Spectrum often have trouble with speech and hearing. Chapter 12 shows how children with such impairments can be helped, and the need to choose our words carefully.
The magic of puppetry is explored in Chapter 13. You’ll learn how to create your own puppets, and how the most basic of puppets can help even a non-verbal child communicate and express her feelings.
Chapter 14 introduces you to additional therapies that are also fun and effective, but used only occasionally, as compared to the methods explored in previous chapters, which can and should be used extensively.
Part Two contains a variety of specific exercises that implement the ideas of the creative therapies you’ll read about in Part One. These are activities that you, the parent, can easily do at home with your child. If you’re a teacher or therapist, you may want to use them in your classroom or sessions. These are fun exercises that will appeal to a child’s body, mind, and spiritual nature.
Each may be considered “just” a game, yet there is a method and an objective for each activity. Kids will only know that they’re having fun. Your child will enjoy these activities, while at the same time, attain specific goals, some of which will include learning to express and communicate feelings and emotions in various creative ways; and improving fine and gross motor skills, observation skills, memory, and attention span.
These activities are perfect for all of your children because siblings are affected more than we know by an autistic brother or sister. They often resent the attention that parents give to a child with special needs, and these feelings of anger are usually suppressed. The same therapeutic methods and activities described in this book for children on the Autism Spectrum are appropriate for their brothers and sisters, since they offer a multitude of ways to express feelings in a non-judgmental way.
In chapters to follow, you will read about methods and reasoning that may be unfamiliar to you. They are different from traditional therapies because they are designed for your non-traditional child. They are given to you as keys that will unlock your child’s hidden potential.
By the time you are finished reading this book, you will have an opportunity to discover your child’s untapped abilities. By applying the suggested methods, you will have the power to create real magic, not sleight of hand, to take your child far beyond what she already knows. Your child will recognize her progress and have the motivation to take the next step towards the integration of her inner world and the world in which we live.