Art Therapy
Art therapy, as opposed to art education, has a foundation in psychology. In the specialist school, developmental psychology informs practice. Art therapy addresses emotional and developmental needs of the individual child through the combination of the art activity and therapy relationship. The way in which a child approaches art media reflects the child's response and engagement with the external world.In art therapy the child's social interaction and engagement are observed and programs designed in response to individual presentations to assist development and encourage the curiosity to discover and learn. The emphasis within art therapy is on self-expression. Often no lasting work is produced.
Art allows for visual communication and personal expression which may be a more accessible means of communication than language. Through art children see and convey their discoveries, expressions and gain confidence in individual perceptions. Children also develop a comprehension of symbols and representation through personal forms of expression. Visual and oral communication can assist conceptual understanding and learning in relation to language, communication and symbolic comprehension.
As a shared activity, individual art therapy alternates between the social and self-contained. For some children it is a sensitive way to approach and develop a means of social interaction. Additionally, art therapy extends into counseling as visual expression is often a more immediate means for emotional expression. For children, particularly in the context of this school, art allows for the expression and communication of things difficult to articulate and comprehend in language.