Art therapy is a fun way to promote emotional and mental growth. Art builds independence because it’s a form of self expression, imagination, and creativity.

At a recent session where we worked with colored pencils, I could see immediate improvement in collaboration, fine motor skills, and coping.  Since many people with autism struggle with communication, face to face interactions such as conversations can be stressful for those with autism, which makes it difficult to understand what the individual is feeling or thinking.  What’s great is that autistic kids are often wonderfully visual thinkers. Art provides a way for those with autism to express themselves through images while also being a soothing activity.  When a child is unable to express themselves with words, not only can their drawings give clues to what they are thinking, but art provides a shared focus, making conversation easier and helping the child to build confidence in their ability to express themselves.