Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 26(4) pp. 187-190 © AATA, Inc.

2009

V iewpoint
Art Therapy and Autism: Overview and
Recommendations

Nicole Martin, Lawrence, KS

Abstract eclectic approaches (Gabriels, 2003; Kornreich &

Schimmel, 1991). Highlighted treatment goals include sym-
Work with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum bol formation and communication (Bentivegna, Schwartz,
disorders (ASD) is a growing area of significant interest for & Deschner, 1983; Fox, 1998), socialization (Noble, 2001),
many art therapists. The purpose of this viewpoint is to outline early intervention (Martin, 2009), and sensory regulation
the current impediments to the expansion of this specialty as (Scanlon, 1993). Special techniques include using idioms as
well as to highlight the unique treatment advantages of art a stimulus in group therapy (Henley, 2000), portrait draw-
therapy from the author’s perspectives as an art therapist and ing assessments (Betts, 2003; Martin, 2008), and video
sibling of a person with autism. A rationale for the use of art (Henley, 1992). Research methods used consist of case stud-
therapy to treat ASD and recommendations are provided. ies (Bentivegna, Schwartz, & Deschner, 1983; Emery,
2004; Evans & Dubowski, 2001; Fox, 1998; Henley,
Summary of the Literature 1989b, 2000, 2001; Kornreich & Schimmel, 1991; Noble,
2001; Scanlon, 1993; Stack, 1998), survey (Henley, 1989a),
Autism, now commonly called autism spectrum dis- and standardized assessment with a comparison group
order, refers to the five diagnoses of the pervasive develop- (Martin, 2008). The current literature on art therapy and
mental disorder spectrum (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s autism has been described as “robust” and supports the use
Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett’s of long-term group and individual art therapy with children
Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not with ASD (Gilroy, 2006).
Otherwise Specified), all of which are characterized by Art therapy literature contains many sound arguments
impairments in social, communication, and imagination for and descriptions of the use of art therapy with clients
skills and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors with ASD (Fox, 1998; Gabriels, 2003; Henley, 2001;
to greater or lesser degrees (American Psychiatric Associa- Martin, 2008; Noble, 2001) but lacks a significant amount
tion, 2000). of quantitative data, comparison groups, larger subject
Art therapy is viewed as a complementary or adjunctive groups, multi-site or replicated studies, studies with adult
therapy in the field of autism treatments; its status is equiv- or adolescent clients, or outcome-based studies. To reverse
alent to professions such as music therapy, play therapy, and a quote from Gilroy (2006), we have the “stories and pic-
recreation therapy. Although listed as a related service in tures” but “need the facts and figures” (p. 150).
previous versions of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA; Anderson, 1992), art therapy is not Difficulties
included in the current version of IDEA (United States
Department of Education, 2004). There are in my opinion several interrelated factors
Treatment approaches used with clients with autism that currently impede art therapists from achieving a more
significant role in the treatment of individuals with autism.
described in art therapy literature include object relations
Overlap. Overlap often occurs because the use of visu-
(Evans & Dubowski, 2001), developmental approaches
al, nonverbal communication is a very useful tool when
(Emery, 2004), developmental/behavioral approaches
working with clients with ASD; other therapists regularly
(Martin, 2009), and psychotherapy (Henley, 2001; Stack,
attempt to incorporate art therapy-like projects into their
1998). Other authors specify no primary approach, or use sessions. Some of the most useful visual teaching tools
(e.g., Gray, 1994), books (e.g., Kellman, 2001), and
Editor’s note: Nicole Martin, MAAT, LPC, ATR is the
founder of Sky’s The Limit Studio, LLC, specializing in art ther- research (e.g., Charman & Baron-Cohen, 1993) on the
apy and music therapy for individuals with ASD in Kansas and topic of art and autism do not even mention art therapy.
Missouri. Correspondence can be addressed to her at arttherapy Overlap occurs naturally with similar professions, such as
[email protected] recreational therapy, play therapy, and art education; the
187
188 ART THERAPY AND AUTISM: OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS

distinctions between these professions and art therapy are of integrating uncomfortable sensory experiences. The art
often lost on the average consumer. therapist’s expertise with visuals is a huge advantage when
Research differences. The particular demand for evi- working on clients’ social-emotional skills and self-expres-
dence-based treatment goals in the field of autism therapies sion. Developmental growth can be achieved by working
often engenders prejudice against art therapy, despite anec- on age-appropriate art and fine motor skills as well as cre-
dotal evidence that supports its use with clients with ASD, ating individualized visual tools and art projects that facil-
due to its lack of experimental data. itate socialization and communication skills. Integrating
Lack of information. The websites of major autism art into recreation and leisure activities can mitigate a
organizations in the United States suggest a lack of under- client’s symptoms through developing socially appropriate
standing about how art therapy is used with clients with skills; an art therapy environment can help a child with
ASD. Although some general or vague descriptions of art ASD make this transition much more successfully than an
therapy are often provided, there are frequently no reference art education environment can. The rich sensory experi-
lists, no description of how art therapy specifically address- ence of art making as well as its ability to encapsulate and
es ASD symptoms, and no information on art therapy cre- organize complex topics makes art therapy a natural fit for
dentials or educational requirements. Furthermore, art ther- individuals with autism.
apy is often listed with “alternative” therapies such as acu- The combination of art and therapy is desirable to cli-
puncture. This is in contrast to music therapy, which is ent families for several reasons. Individuals with autism
often better defined, referenced, and included in lists of often experience anxiety, stress, depression, and frustration
common ASD treatments when art therapy is not. Major as a result of their symptoms and the social impact of their
autism conferences rarely offer presentations on art therapy. symptoms. The capacity to address psychological needs sets
Increased competition. The variety and sophistication art therapy apart from similar professions such as occupa-
of autism therapies has grown a great deal in the last decade. tional therapy, art education, or recreational therapy, and
Competition for health care dollars is stiff when families are expertise in doing so using visual modalities distinguishes
on a tight budget; young children with ASD are often in art therapists from psychologists, play therapists, or social
therapy more than 20 hours a week. Therapists must offer workers. Art therapists do not just assign therapeutic art
compelling arguments for their specialization in order to projects; they are comfortable working jointly with the
justify further strain on families’ time and resources. child, skillfully providing visual feedback, letting a project
Billing and reimbursement. Difficulties with insur- grow, and using a project to build relationships (Martin,
ance reimbursement (due to lack of licensure in most states) 2008). Last but definitely not least, any quality activity that
or government reimbursement (due to art therapy’s current the child can both learn from and enjoy is precious to the
lack of presence in IDEA) are very real factors when fami- parents of children with autism.
lies or organizations consider hiring an art therapist. Insur- Interest in the arts and autism. Public interest in art
ance companies remain ungenerous when it comes to cov- made by people with autism continues to grow. Thanks to
ering any therapy for individuals with autism, despite the the outsider art and disability arts movements, the work of
evidence that autism is treatable. artists with autism has generally gained mainstream appre-
Size of the profession. Art therapy is a small field and ciation. Testimonies of high profile individuals with ASD
the number of therapists within it who have expertise with lend support indirectly to the therapeutic power of the arts
autism is even smaller. This may be an issue of quantity, (Williams, n.d.).
but it does not necessarily have to negatively impact the
quality of art therapists’ research and services. Lack of a Recommendations
critical mass of art therapists contributes to all the difficul-
ties listed above. My experience suggests that all of the difficulties de-
scribed in this article can be resolved with a team effort to
Advantages address a few vital tasks:
Develop and expand art therapy’s research to meet
Despite these difficulties, the following advantages the current expectations of the greater autism communi-
of art therapy with individuals with ASD are important ty. The individual therapist may determine a client’s suc-
and noteworthy: cess, but research determines the field’s success and thus
The relevance and usefulness of treatment goal how many therapists it can support. Art therapy research
areas in which art therapy excels. Art therapy has a on autism needs to move beyond anecdotal case studies to
unique ability to address several specific and difficult treat- concentrate on larger sample sizes, to record trends, to iso-
ment goals by capitalizing on the desirable use of art mate- late the best treatment goals and techniques, and to share
rials that are compatible with ASD symptoms (Martin, information about both what works and what does not
2007). Lack of imagination and abstract thinking skills is work. My opinion is that a large degree of untapped or hes-
one of the three major deficits of autism yet is the one least itant interest in art therapy and autism would greatly
often addressed by most therapists; art therapists have a increase with empirical studies demonstrating the benefits
unique ability to improve these skills. Sensory regulation of art therapy. Articles that examine the use of art therapy
is often less stressful for the client in art therapy because with clients with disabilities similar to autism (e.g., Banks,
the art provides a product to focus on beyond the process Davis, Howard, & McLaughlin, 1993; Pounsett, Parker,
 MARTIN 189

American Music Therapy Association (n.d.). What is music thera-

py? Retrieved October 26, 2009, from http://www.musicther
apy.org

American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statisti-

cal manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington,
DC: Author.

Anderson, F. (1992). Art for all the children: Approaches to art ther-
apy for children with disabilities. Springfield, IL: Charles C
Thomas.

Banks, S., Davis, P., Howard, V., & McLaughlin, T. (1993). The
effects of directed art activities on the behavior of young chil-
dren with disabilities: A multi-element baseline analysis. Art
Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 10(4),
Figure 1 A child drawing portraits in an art therapy 235–240.
socialization group
Bentivegna, S., Schwartz, L., & Deschner, D. (1983). Case study:
The use of art with an autistic child in residential care.
American Journal of Art Therapy, 22, 51–56.
Hawtin, & Collins, 2006) are noteworthy for their inclu-
sion of experimental design and co-authorship. Betts, D. (2003). Developing a projective drawing test: Exper-
Art therapy need not necessarily hold itself up to the iences with the Face Stimulus Assessment (FSA). Art Therapy:
Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 20(2), 77–82.
standards of fields with a large base of professional research
scientists. Music therapy is a comparable profession to art Charman, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1993). Drawing development
therapy in both treatment emphasis and size, yet the quan- in autism: The intellectual to visual realism shift. British
tity and quality of its research on autism surpasses our own Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11, 171–185.
(Coast Music Therapy, 2007).
Perhaps the status of art therapy’s research on autism Coast Music Therapy (2007). Autism and music research.
implicates a larger identity issue within the field. For exam- Retrieved October 26, 2009, from http://www.coastmusic
ple, the American Art Therapy Association currently de- therapy.com/articles/diagnosisautism.html
scribes art therapy as “based on the belief ” and makes no
mention of research (American Art Therapy Association, Emery, M. J. (2004). Art therapy as an intervention for autism.
2009), whereas the American Music Therapy Association’s Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association,
current definition of music therapy states “research in 21, 143–147.
music therapy supports its effectiveness” (American Music
Evans, K., & Dubowski, J. (2001). Art therapy with children on
Therapy Association, n.d.). A major injection of empirical the autistic spectrum: Beyond words. London: Jessica Kingsley.
data into its knowledge base is critical in order for art ther-
apy to survive in the 21st century. Fox, L. (1998). Lost in space: The relevance of art therapy with
Pursue an education in autism far beyond the scope clients who have autism or autistic features. In M. Rees (Ed.),
of art therapy. There is a general body of practical knowl- Drawing on difference: Art therapy with people who have learn-
edge about autism spectrum disorders that includes famil- ing difficulties (pp. 73–90). New York: Routledge.
iarity with the primary therapies, the major scientific re-
search, the history of autism as a diagnosis, common adap- Gabriels, R. (2003). Art therapy with children who have autism
tive tools and behavioral strategies, autism family culture, and their families. In C. Malchiodi (Ed.), Handbook of art ther-
and the issues specific to age and level of functioning. This apy (pp. 193–206). New York: Guilford Press.
knowledge can be gained through internships, volunteer-
Gilroy, A. (2006). Art therapy, research and evidence-based practice.
ing, independent study, professional development, and
London: Sage.
supervision. Traditional art therapy training alone simply
is not enough in order to work successfully with clients Gray, C. (1994). Comic strip conversations. Arlington, TX: Future
with ASD. Horizons.
I am hopeful that my recommendations will inspire
new projects and collaborations so that in the future the art Henley, D. R. (1989a). Artistic giftedness in the multiply handi-
therapy and autism specialty will not just survive, but thrive. capped. In H. Wadeson, J. Durkin, & D. Perach (Eds.),
Advances in Art Therapy (pp. 240–272). New York: John Wiley
References & Sons.

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C A L L F O R PA P E R S & R E S E A RC H
Art Therapy’s Ethical Challenges in a Complex World
Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association is seeking submissions for a special issue on ethics and professionalism. As art
therapists interact with increasingly diverse perspectives and expectations of clients, other professionals, and professional groups and systems,
ethical challenges are becoming more complex. The Journal invites submissions that address ethical issues in art therapy research, treatment,
theory and practice, and education. Papers, reflections, and original research studies that present models of ethical decision-making applied to
the unique practice realities of art therapy and other related professional issues are encouraged.
The deadline for submission is September 15, 2010.
Please refer to the “Guidelines for Submission” published in Art Therapy or online at www.arttherapyjournal.org for specific requirements of
style and format. Send submissions electronically to the Art Therapy Editorial Office by following author instructions on the website.