Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are one of the most common mental disorders in the modern society. They involve high level of sensory dysfunction that prevents capability of achieving a healthy social relationship. The illness causes the individual to lack appropriate capability of understanding social interaction. The primary cause for conducting this case study is to develop an effective means of understanding the illness and the most appropriate treatment and management styles. In this research, the primary focus is art therapy as a significant measure of managing the disease. The primary implementation of the intervention is to enable the practitioner to develop an understanding of the emotions and thoughts of the individual. Many of the practitioners in the field are attracted to this model as it allows effective expression of thoughts and emotions coming from the unconscious to be materialized through images rather than words.
Introduction
Over the course of the 20 th century, there have been extensive developments made by practitioners by identifying numerous ways of improving the quality of care for patients affected with mental disorders. There has been a major concern with the provision of better care to the members of the society. The noted developments have come up primarily due to the critical research that has been conducted by professionals in the discipline of psychology. It is evident that the practice has been an integral factor in the higher diagnosis rates of the autism spectrum disorders which affects nearly 1 in 68 children to date (D’Amico, Lalonde, & Snow, 2015). Various methodologies have been developed to address the issues faced by these patients. They include a variety of therapeutic measures whose effectiveness heavily depends on its application and severity of the issue. The following research paper addresses a case study on the use of art therapy in facilitating attachment in Children with Autism.
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Treated Distress and Patient
Patient in Question
The case study was developed to address the critical issue of autism spectrum disorders. The patient is a 12-year old boy whose pseudonym is Tom. The child’s history is not available to the practitioners as the parents failed to provide critical information to the therapists. The information provided by an occupational therapist was the only background data available. It is evident that the family experienced a strained relationship. This incidence makes it difficult to identify the childhood of the patient and the significant developmental history. The patient’s parents restricted the significant use of pre- and post-therapy interviews. Brief verbal exchange between the parents and the researchers was the only source of information about the patient. The corroboration with Tom’s nanny and parents has been the only source of input for the therapist. The child seems to be more attached to the father than the mother as he is usually agitated around her.
Problem
The primary cause for conducting this case study is to develop an effective means of understanding the illness and the most appropriate treatment and management styles. Tom is suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) which has been diagnosed since an early age. The problem has affected the patient’s speech making him nonverbal until the age of 12. The child is considered one half of twins with the other suffering from comorbid cerebral palsy. ASD has been a major issue in the society and had not been understood until a few decades ago. The worldwide prevalence of the disease has significantly increased over the past few years. It is particularly important that researchers and involved practitioners develop effective measures to improve the quality of life of the patients by reducing the severity of the issue. The illness causes a major problem in sensory dysfunction and self-regulation including sight, smell, touch, hearing, and proprioception making it difficult to socialize with others.
Diagnosis
Emotional and social development is a major concern that prevents an individual from acting appropriately in each situation. The child, for instance, has demonstrated the lack of functional relationship with his parents as they experienced a hostile relationship during his early years of childhood. Tom along with his twin brother rarely received the affection and care from their parents. During the first 10 years of their life while living with their father, they were taken care of by a nanny. The father of the children rarely had time to offer his love and care with most of the time spent away on travel. On the other hand, the mother rarely showed significant care for Tom. She confessed to have practiced “tough love” with the children and infrequently visited them. It is evident based on this description that the child was rightfully diagnosed with ASD and will require appropriate treatment to improve his quality of life.
Impact on Personal Life
The incidence of ASD has significant impact on the personal life of any individual. It is evident that the disease influenced continued deterioration of the overall health of the child. However, the impact of the child’s social life will cause further damage to the patient. Research has shown that a mentally healthy child should experience warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with its mom or permanent substitute (Kim et al., 2013). The child is experiencing a major issue in attachment whereby he experienced disruption due to parental conflicts and absences. The illness also causes high levels of sensory dysfunction that prevents him from understanding various aspects of social interaction. For instance, disciplinary practices of “tough love” cannot be understood by the individual patient as it not understandable (Kim et al., 2013). As a result, Tom was unable to establish a close relationship with his mother. The observations made by a therapist show that his anxiety escalates whenever his mother is around him.
Historical and Social Context of Diagnosis
The child, Tom, was diagnosed with ASD at an early age along with his twin brother, Ron. The latter’s diagnosis was more complicated due to the comorbid cerebral palsy. Both of them were nonverbal until they reached the age of 12 when Tom began art therapy intervention. The child had been enrolled for occupational and speech therapy over the course of the numerous years as it would involve the increased high anxiety (Oono, Honey, & McConachie, 2013). The conflict between the parents of the child has been a significant cause for concern. The two have been at loggerheads particularly in reference to the care for the autistic children. The lack of cooperation between the parents has caused continued suffering of the child. Furthermore, the burden has shifted from the biological caregivers to the hired nanny whose role significantly increased as the twins are both autistic. The failure of the parents to cooperate and provide critical information to healthcare practitioners prevents ability to improve care and quality of life in management of care.
Population Diagnosis
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been under surveillance by researchers and concerned government organization. In the recent times, it has become evident that the mental disorder has experienced a drastic increase in the rate of incidence. As of 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed data on autism in the US to be at 1 in 68 every birth a significant increase from 1 in 150 a decade. When taking into consideration the issue of demographics, it was evident that more boys are affected more than girls where records show 1 in 42 as opposed to 1 in 189 respectively. The prevalence of the disease has increased by 6-15% between the years 2002 and 2010 a clear indicator of the improved knowledge on the issue. It is evident that some of the populations are more affected than others.
Use and Outcome of Intervention
Intervention Used
Art therapy is one of the more recent interventions to have been developed as a significant measure of ensuring the proper management of patients suffering from autism. It is evident that the method incorporates the creative expression of therapy. The intervention has become more common in the provision of therapy as more and more practitioners develop measures to improve the management of mental disorders (Oono, Honey, & McConachie, 2013). Some of the techniques include drawing, sculpting, coloring, painting, or collage. These forms of art help the individual patient to express himself or herself artistically while providing the therapist with the ability to examine emotional and psychological undertones depicted through the art. The art therapist can help guide the clients to decode the nonverbal messages, metaphors, and symbols that have been depicted in the forms of art. The practice is intended to enable the health practitioner to ensure a better understanding of the patient’s feelings and behavior such that they can effectively engage in the resolution of deeper issues. The intervention may be implemented on clients of all ages from young children of school going age to adolescents, and adults alike.
Creators of the Intervention
Throughout the course of modern history of civilization, art has been an integral factor of use in communication, conflict resolution, group interaction, diagnosis, and self-expression. Cultures and religions alike have used charms and idols as sacred tools essential for the process of healing (Oono, Honey, & McConachie, 2013). However, it was only until the mid-20 th century where art was considered a unique and publicly acceptable therapeutic measure that could heal suffering patients. The profession rose independently and simultaneously in the US and Europe (Schweizer, Knorth, & Spreen, 2014). It was in 1942 where British artist Adrian Hill coined the term ‘art therapy’ after recognizing the health benefits of painting and drawing as he was recovering from tuberculosis. At the time, researchers in the field of mental health who described the treatment of ‘art therapy’ they were educated in other disciplines. As a result, they were supervised by psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health practitioners. Margaret Naumburg, Florence Cane, Elinor, Ulman, Hanna Kwaitkowska, and Edith Kramer were all early contributors in the field. Naumburg is described as the ‘mother of art therapy” as she believed that children who were allowed to express themselves creatively and by pursuing subjects that interest them would be to ensure healthy development.
Theoretical background
The practice of art therapy was developed from a combination of the art and psychology disciplines. Although in some countries it has been developed for over half a century, its use of art processes is intended to express and communicate emotions and thoughts to the viewer. The profession was based on the theoretical basis of psychodynamic as it recognizes the phenomena of transference, transitional object, containment, and play (Kim et al., 2013). As a result, Jung identified that the primary goal of therapy is to unleash the creative energy of an individual in such a way that it ensures transformation. Many of the practitioners in the field are attracted to this model as it allows effective expression of thoughts and emotions coming from the unconscious to be materialized through images rather than words (Oono, Honey, & McConachie, 2013). The involved professionals believe that the use of creative expression is an effective measure in solving conflicts rather than the use of verbal statements. The therapeutic approach can be used by individuals and groups depending on the needs of the patients at hand. It is not necessary to have prior experience in art to effectively use in the development of quality use. According to the developers, those who use the methodology identify that patients may have neurological disease, brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral or emotional difficulties, physical impairment, and somatic diseases.
Etiology of Problem
Art theory is depicted as a critical source of restoring psychological balance in the society. According to these members, the theory identified the act against symptoms of personal conflict against defense mechanisms (Schweizer, Knorth, & Spreen, 2014). The research for gaining probable cause for the incidence ASD is yet unknown primarily because its occurrence is not yet known. The unclear causation of the disease makes it a mystery among the members of the society as it is mainly due to genetic factors. The birth defects associated to the disease identify the need to recognize autism as a hereditary disease. In the recent research, there have been numerous practitioners who noted that childhood immunizations have been associated with the development of autism (Miller, Vernon, Wu, & Russo, 2014). This has led to the development of a major controversy where government and other healthcare agencies highlighted the need to refute these allegations. The prenatal environment has been described as a risk factor for the incidence of the disease (Huijnen, Lexis, Jansens, & de Witte, 2016). In this case, the infectious processes, environmental agents, and other maternal conditions could influence the occurrence of the mental disorder. Sometimes, parents or other relatives of an autistic child have mild social impairments (such as repetitive behaviors and social or communication problems) that look very much like autism. Research also has found that some emotional disorders (such as manic depression) occur more often in families of a child with autism.
Implementation of the Treatment
The art therapy sessions were held once a week at approximately 30 minutes for the first 10 sessions. The young client, Tom demonstrated high levels of arousal and anxiety. He incorporated fleeting eye contact if any and prevented minimal interaction with the therapist (Schweizer, Knorth, & Spreen, 2014). Certified art therapists will typically have a comprehensive understanding of the powerful effect that the creative process can have on those in therapy. Art therapists often use psychological, spiritual, and artistic theories in conjunction with clinical techniques to achieve the desired therapeutic outcome. The approach has proven to be beneficial even for non-verbal individuals and professional artists. It became apparent in the first few sessions that to engage Tom in art-making it would be necessary to first establish a rapport with him. Only then could he be approached to engage with the art materials. Hence, the therapist made art in front of Tom to indirectly familiarize him with the art materials and the process of artmaking.
Discussion
The Art therapy can take place in a variety of different settings. Art therapists may vary the goals of art therapy and the way they provide art therapy, depending upon the institution's or client's needs. After an assessment of the client's strengths and needs, art therapy may be offered in either an individual or group format, according to which is better suited to the person. Art therapist Dr. Ellen G. Horovitz wrote, "My responsibilities vary from job to job. It is wholly different when one works as a consultant or in an agency as opposed to private practice. In private practice, it becomes more complex and far reaching. If you are the primary therapist then your responsibilities can swing from the spectrum of social work to the primary care of the patient. This includes dovetailing with physicians, judges, family members, and sometimes even community members that might be important in the caretaking of the individual.
References
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