Does art therapy help cerebral palsy?

[Erica24]

Hi all, hope you’re well and safe. I had a couple of questions to ask:

Does art therapy help CP? If so, how does it accomplish that?

Can CP impact intellect?

[Hidden]

Music therapy - very effective, I have found in nonverbal autism son

[Hidden]

Hello

Please don't worry about intelligence, we are all different. Intelligence doesn't make the better person.

What I find is you have to try different things to help different people. I worked with a MUTE autistic child. By the end of my one to one sessions with him he was able to sing. He couldn't structure his words very well but used to hum them and other people knew what he was saying.

Just try things, and you will be surprised, some might not work, but some you might have great success. The main thing is never give up trying!

Hope this helps,

Kind regards.

[Erica24 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for replying to my question.

You mentioned working with a mute autistic child using music therapy; could you share some of the techniques you used to do that?

[Hidden in reply to Erica24]

Hi,

I was lucky enough to work with a gorgeous mute Autistic boy in a children's centre. We had a sensory room in the centre. I used to take him in the sensory room, sit down on the floor and just watch him. I didn't talk to him at all. I noticed if I did speak he could not handle this and would go up and smack me in the face. So by not talking to him and observing him, put him in control. I sometimes played alongside him, with cars, bricks etc. But not talking at all. This is how I built up a bond with him. We did this for several weeks. Then when he could tolerate it and I thought the time was right, I started gently humming nursery rhymes in a soft tone, very gently. Again I did this for a few weeks. Eventually Success!!! He started to hum the nursery rhymes back to me. He loved books and I found out that he was a very intelligent boy and could read. He was only 3 but could read books to the standard of a 12 year old. I know you are thinking this is unbelievable, I couldn't believe it myself. He couldn't verbally structure the words but you knew what he was humming and trying to saying. It was like he had a photographic memory. I will never forget this boy. So he was able to read, very visual learner, but not able to tell us until now.

Another great thing this boy achieved was to hum happy birthday to his dad. His dad had tears in his eyes!!

I'm not a professional person but since having my own Austistic boy I find the whole concepts fascinating. My boy is 27 years old and I wouldn't change him for the world. We have had difficult times but he has taught me alot. I know what he is going to do before he does it now!!

I hope this will help your little one, there are lots of things you could try if it doesn't work. Picture cards for example, makaton. Please don't give up and could you let me know how you get on? If there is anything I can help you with don't hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards

[Erica24 in reply to Hidden]

Hi,

Thank you for sharing that; it was very beautiful. I don’t personally know anyone with autism but I’m looking forward to studying special education at university.

[Hidden in reply to Erica24]

Good luck with your studies! I find it fascinating but I'm too old to do any studying. (55 now). My daughter has just finished her masters in Psychology at Uni, she got her result on Thursday- distinction. I'm so proud of her.

[Galwaybay2]

Hebb's Principle says that 'what fires together wires together. Anything that accesses the brain and connects experiences with emotions changes it. All of us can benefit from talking therapy, but where there are physical, learning and language difficulties we have to find ways in and art therapy does this. Art, like music accesses parts of the brain that words cannot and allows the person to know/express better. My son has benefitted enormously from it. He does not draw pictures beyond pre-school level and his word for feelings even in the depths of PTSD was 'fine'. Now he has almost been given permission to think about feelings and a language to make himself understood which also helps him to connect with others and feel understood. There has to be another ready to help with this and I give him space, rather than ask and wait until something bubbles to the surface and actively listen and help. There are ways to do this even where language is a problem. Intelectual development is very much connected to accessing innermost thoughts.