By: Ashley MorissetteED 7201Dr. O’Connor-PetrusoFall 2011

AN ART THERAPY APPROACH TO

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

IntroductionWhy Art Therapy?Pros and ConsStatement of the ProblemReview of Related LiteratureCurrent Instructional StrategiesParticipantsInstruments HypothesisReferences

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Art therapy is a growing field and has gained wide acceptance as a modality

that uses the nonverbal language of art for personal growth, insight and transformation. (Malchiodi,2007) Art

therapy has been used as a medium to assist students with special needs, physical and mental disabilities and

students with behavioral problems such as ADHD and ODD.

INTRODUCTION

Art therapy uses the creative process to help individuals:

resolve conflicts and problems

develop sense of self (Nisenson, 2008)

manage behavior

create new patterns of learning (Nisenson, 2008)

increase self-esteem and awareness

WHY ART THERAPY?

Special education students with behavioral problems have trouble staying focused and on track.

Behavioral management distracts from valuable instruction time.

Some classroom environments do not nurture special education students needs.

Majority of the subjects taught throughout the day tap into logical thinking skills and not enough time is spent on their senses and imagination.

Art serves as a vehicle for developmental learning and can impacts the spirit and emotional response of a child.

Arts instruction is a catalyst for creative expression, social development and can aid in problem solving.

Budget cuts have caused very little to no arts instruction.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Research indicates that the majority of children with emotional difficulties also have learning disabilities (Freilich & Shectman, 2010).

Play and artistic expression are commonly used in therapeutic and educational settings (Bagilishya, Drapeau, Heusch, Lacroix, & Rousseau, 2005).

Many studies (Adu-Agyem, 2009; Bagilishya et al., 2005; Dorff & Pochedley, 2008; Dunn-Snow, 1999; Naumburg, 2001) have investigated the link between art making in the classroom setting and increased self-esteem.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Art therapy practices facilitate in connecting children’s expression of emotion and serve as a vehicle for non-verbal communication (Adu-Agyem, 2009; Mason, Steedy, & Thorman, 2008)

Art and music therapy are a mirror into the personality. (Nisenson, 2008)

Children whose emotional health is strained can benefit from art therapy through the intervention of play work and creative arts. (Dunn-Snow, 1999; (Frost, 2005)

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

 It is critical for all students, including those who are atypically developing such as those with autism, to have access to an art experience at school.( Furniss, 2009; Buenaflor, 2008)

Art therapy as a component to social skills training may increase the willingness of children to participate because art is an activity that they find acceptable. (Epp, 2008; Naumburg, 2001)

Art therapy allows children to solve problems visually and offers a non-threatening way to deal with rejection. (Freilich, R., & Shectman, Z., 2010)

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (CONT’D)

Art has the potential to assist special needs children in communicating with others and to obtain confidence in their own ideas. (Balke, 1997; Germain, 2008)

By allowing students more freedom and accountability when making art in the classroom, teachers can promote self-worth as an artist and foster self-esteem at the same time. (Rufo, 2011; Viza, 2005; Taylor, 2005 )

Some of the most commonly mentioned benefits of art therapy are self-esteem, self-expression, problem solving, and conflict resolution (Bagilishya et al., 2005).

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (CONT’D)

SAMPLE ART INTEGRATED MATH ACTIVITIES

SAMPLE ART INTEGRATED MATH ACTIVITIES

SAMPLE ART INTEGRATED MATH ACTIVITIES

A group of students from P.S. X- a low-income urban school in East New York, Brooklyn. The population is 43% African American, 25% Asian and 21% Hispanic. The participants will be first-grade students who have demonstrated a lack of focus, behavioral problems, and/or underdeveloped social skills.

PARTICIPANTS

Sample ofBehavioral Checklist

INSTRUMENTS

HR1: By implementing art therapy practices to 15 first-grade students at PS X in Brooklyn, NY for 45 minutes a day, 3 days a week, over a 6-week period, students’ on-task behavior and positive social skills will increase.

HYPOTHESIS

Adu-Agyem, J . (2009) Enhancing chi ldren's learning: The art perspective. International Journal of Education through Art, (5 ) 2-3, 143-155. Bagi l ishya, D., Drapeau, A., Heusch, N., Lacroix, L. & Rousseau, C.

(2005). Evaluat ion of a classroom program of creative expression

workshops for refugee and immigrant chi ldren. Journal of Chi ld Psychology & Psychiatry, 46 (2) 180-185. doi: 10.1111/j .1469-7610.2004.00344.x Balke, E. (1997). Play and the arts: The importance of the “unimportant.”

Childhood Education, 73 (6), 355. Buenaflor, J . (2008). Does including art make a difference? Momentum,

39 (2), 8-9. Derby, J . (2011) Disabi l i ty studies and art education. Studies in Art

Education: A Journal of Issues and Research, (52)3, 94-111. Dorff, J . & Pochedley, E. (2008). The power of col laboration: Two teachers

working together for their students’ success. Delta Kappa Gamma Bul letin, 75(1), 18-22. Dunn-Snow, P. (1999). A school inclusion approach: Evaluating embedded

assessment within the context of mult icultural group art

experiences. Delta Kappa Gamma Bul letin . 66(1), 41-50. Epp, K.M. (2008). Outcome-based evaluat ion of a social ski l ls program

usingart therapy and group therapy for chi ldren on the autism

spectrum. Children & Schools, 30 (1), 27-36.

REFERENCES

Frei l ich, R. , & Shectman, Z. (2010) . The contr ibut ion of art therapy to the social , emot ional , and academic adjustment of chi ldren with learning disabi l i t ies . The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37 (2010), 97-105. Frost , J .L . (2005). Lessons from disasters: P lay, work, and the creat ive arts.

Chi ldhood Educat ion, 82 (1) , 2-8. Furniss, G. J . (2008). Celebrat ing the artmaking of chi ldren with aut ism. Art

Education, 61 (5) , 8-12. Germain, C. (2008). Art for spec ial needs students: Bui ld ing a phi losophical

f ramework. Arts & Act iv it ies, 143 (3) 55,71. Henley, D. (1998a) . Faci l i tat ing socia l izat ion within a therapeutic camp

sett ing for chi ldren with attent ion deficits ut i l iz ing the express ive therapies. American Journal of Art Therapy , 38 (2) , 40-50.

Henley, D. (1998b). Art therapy in a socia l izat ion program for chi ldren with attent ion deficit hyperact iv ity disorder . American Journal of Art Therapy , 37(1) , 2-11.

Mason, C. , Steedly, K. & Thorman, M. (2008) . Impact of arts integrat ion on voice,

choice, and access. Teacher Education & Special Educat ion 31 (1) , 36-46. Naumburg, M. (2001). Spontaneous art in education and psychotherapy.

American Journal of Art Therapy, 40 (1) 47-64. Nisenson, K. (2008) . Arts for heal ing: The importance of integrated music

and art in therapy and special education. Exceptional Parent , 38 (3) , 42-44.

REFERENCES

Osborne, J . (2003). Art and the chi ld with autism: Therapy or education? Early Chi ld Development and Care, 173 (4), 411-423.

Pace, D., Schwartz, D. (2008). Students create art. Teaching Exceptional Chi ldren, 40(4), 50-54.

Rufo, D. (2011). Al lowing art ist ic agency in the elementary classroom. Art

Education 64(3), 18-23. Siegesmund, R. (2002). Bringing accountabi l i ty to elementary art. Kappa

Delta Pi , 39(1), 24-28. Taylor, M. (2005). Self- identity and the arts education of disabled young

people. Disabi l i ty & Society, 20 (7), 763-778. Ulman, E. (1992). Art education for the emotional ly disturbed. American

Journal of Art Therapy, 30 (3), 101. Vize, A. (2005). Making art activit ies work for students with special

needs. Arts & Activit ies, 138 (4), 17-41. Waller, D. (2006). Art therapy for chi ldren: How it leads to change.

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