English 104
Fine arts
Fine Art: Definition & Meaning. (n.d.). In visual arts cork. Retrieved March 24, 2015, from visual arts cork website: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/definitions/fine-art.htm Discusses fine arts. "The term "fine art" refers to an art form practised mainly for its aesthetic value and its beauty ("art for art's sake") rather than its functional value."
Music
A 10 year-old blind autistic boy singing. What happened next shocked everyone [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_W_zl61bI This is a video of a boy with autism singing.
Dance
Dance/movement therapy & autism: Dance of relationship [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65DLHYrHIIM A video about dance movement therapy Key Quote: "The only universal language is the language that is communicated through our bodies and through movement"
Music
De Vivo, M. (2013, August 30). Music therapy may help children with autism [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/music-therapy-may-help-children-with-autism/ Article about music therapy improving social, communication, behavior, and anxiety. Key Quotes: "Often, individuals with autism respond positively to music when little else is able to get their attention, which makes music a potential therapeutic tool." "Additionally, a skilled therapist can use music with children to increase their social interaction and improve social skills. Passing and sharing instruments, music and movement games, gathering around a central instrument, learning to listen and singing of greetings are just a few of the ways music therapy sessions can increase interaction." "A 2004 study from the Journal of Music Therapy found that music in interventions used with children and teens with ASD can improve social behaviors, increase focus and attention, increase communication attempts (vocalizations, verbalizations, gestures, and vocabulary), reduce anxiety, and improve body awareness and coordination." "Wan et. al. (2004) found music to improve the mapping of sounds to actions, by connecting the auditory and motor sections of the brain, which may help improve understanding of verbal commands. By pairing music with actions, and with repetitive training, the brain pathways needed to speak can be reinforced and improved." "Music is an effective way to communicate with and reach children with autism. Music therapy seems to be able to improve social skills, behavior, anxiety and more—and might be the one thing that can reach a child with autism when nothing else will."
Dance
Devereaux, C. (2014, April 2). Dance/movement therapy and autism. In Psychology today. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/meaning-in-motion/201404/dancemovement-therapy-and-autism Transcript of the video about dance movement therapy Key Quotes: "This approach is not only unique, but unlike many treatment approaches in autism, the goal in dance/movement therapy is to channel the communication patterns into 'dances of relationship.'" "Because there is such a wide spectrum, there isn't really one way that works for all as the "entry point" for building connection with those with autism. Instead, the "entry point" in order to build relationship, has to start from where the person is. We need to learn what their way of processing is. We need to ask ourselves how do I speak their language first in order to find a place of mutuality? The only universal language is a language that is communicated through our bodies and through our movements. It is universal because we all communicate nonverbally whether we have an autism spectrum disorder or not. So that has to be the place where we begin. As a dance/movement therapist, I help make sense out of the meaning that occurs within this kind of non-verbal exchange."
Dance, art, music
Hourigan, A. Email communication. March 1, 2015. This is an interview with a professional in the field of autism and the arts. Ket Quotes: "Students with autism have difficulties with many areas. The areas of communication and socialization are typically those that challenge them from interacting with others. The fine arts break down those walls. They allow people with these challenges to express themselves without needing to speak or understand sophisticated social cues. " "If the fine arts are NOT being used as an intervention both the children and the teacher are missing out on a valuable learning tool. "
Art
Jake, S. (2014, October 9). The extraordinary art of autistic 'five-year-old Monet.' In cnn.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System website: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/09/world/the-extraordinary-art-of-autistic-five-year-old-monet/ A site about a girl with autism who is an extraordinary artist. Key Quotes: "The girls mother said, 'She was so excited and happy I knew that we had found a key into her world and a way of interacting with her.'"
Autism
Jankowski, N. (2014, December 16). The day I stopped trying to 'cure' my son with autism. In Huffungtonpost. Retrieved from TheHunffingtonPost.com website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicole-jankowski/how-i-cured-the-autism-pr_b_6309054.html Mother writing about her son with autism and how she stopped trying to cure him. Key Quotes: "Your son has classic autism," the child psychiatrist said. "There's no cure. Anyone who tells you they 'cured' their child of autism didn't have a child with autism. It's that plain." "It just meant that I began to expect from him only as much as it was possible for him to give me. Frankly, I just tried to -- still try to -- help Dominic be the best Dominic he could be." "What it really meant most of all is that I stopped trying to banish the autism from Dominic's life (or my life) and just started letting my son live with it."
Music
Kaplan, R. (2012, November 21). Music therapy for individuals with autism. In Huffington post. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from TheHuffingtonPost.com website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronna-kaplan-ma/music-therapy-autism_b_2007561.html This is an article about music therapy benefitting children with autism. Key quotes "The music therapy association 'Music therapy enhances one's quality of life, involving relationships between a qualified music therapist and individual; between one individual and another; between the individual and his/her family; and between the music and the participants. These relationships are structured and adapted through the elements of music to create a positive environment and set the occasion for successful growth.'" "And because music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain, it can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for remediation of some speech/language skills" "Father of a client 'It's not so much that Ishmael is going to be a brilliant musician after twenty-plus years of (music therapy) lessons. It's that he's a better musician and a better person ... Ishmael likes music enough that he does things that are difficult for him, like social things. The group puts him into a situation where he has to try and use these new skills. Music brings him to a place that he'd never be at otherwise.'"
Dance / Theater
Kempe, A., & Tissot, C. (2012). The use of drama to teach social skills in a special school setting for students with autism. Support for Learning, 27(3), 97-102. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9604.2012.01526.x This is a case study about two girls with autism who used drama as a way to enhance their ability to learn academically. Key Quotes: "the nature of drama is that it engages through surprise and novelty. As such, it can be a flexible pedagogy that is highly responsive to setting and context. " (98) "However, drama can provide a context in which skills can be practised and learned, understanding fostered and, as a result, confidence heightened." (99) "Nonetheless, if this flexibility is embraced, it can lead to the creation of a teaching situation that has little scope for failure for students and therefore represents a 'safe environ- ment' in which to practise important social skills. "(98) "The drama pro- vided a structure wherein the class developed an ongoing story for an imaginary character. Through the process of interacting and co-creating a dramatic context a 'safe space' was established which enabled two young women with autism to practise transferable social skills." (101)
Art
Lacour, K. (2013, November 8). The value od art therapy for those on the autism spectrum. In The art of autism. Retrieved January 8, 2015, from The Art of Autism website: http://the-art-of-autism.com/the-value-of-art-therapy-for-those-on-the-autism-spectrum/ This article discusses the importance of art therapy for children with autism. Ket Quotes: "Art therapy is a natural fit for autism for several reasons. One of the hallmarks of autism is impaired communication. Verbal self-expression and language is often especially difficult. One person with autism writes "I just couldn't get my words out. It was like a big stutter... Screaming was the only way I could communicate." Art offers a way for people who have trouble "speaking their mind" with words to express themselves directly, without words. People with autism are often highly visual thinkers, and many report that they "think in pictures". Expressing feelings and ideas through images is very natural for such people and can be a welcome relief from the daily struggle to use words effectively." "Art can also be a wonderful facilitator in forming connections with peers. Cooperation, turn-taking, respecting differences and other social skills can all be practiced in an enjoyable, natural setting. People with autism may also struggle to comprehend other people's perspectives; looking at a peer's art work offers a concrete way to "see" another person's point of view. Working together on group projects fosters cooperation, teamwork and a sense of acceptance." "Some people may stare in rapt attention at their fingers as they flick them back and forth or endlessly twisting tiny strips of paper. Repetitively engaging in such self-stimulating behaviors (or "stimming") can make people with autism stand out, prevent them from interacting with others, and can distract them from other activities, such as school work or play. On the other hand, these sensations may provide some calming, soothing feelings when the person is agitated. In art therapy, the goal is to channel non-functional or inappropriate stimming into socially acceptable, creative outlets." "One of the most common goals in art therapy is to increase tolerance for unpleasant stimuli, while channeling self-stimulating behavior into more creative activity. Because art is naturally enjoyable for almost all children, autistic or not, they are more likely to tolerate textures and smells they might otherwise avoid when they are part of a fun art process. A child might find that he or she can actually cope with handling slimy, paste-covered strips of newspaper, for instance, when it's part of a fun paper mache craft project. Repeatedly confronting the stimuli they prefer to avoid helps to desensitize kids to them, making it more bearable when they encounter these sensations in daily life. A child who learned to deal with paper mache, for instance, might then find that handling slimy hand soap was no longer so unpleasant." "One child with autism was disciplined at school for his compulsive habit of shredding paper. When taught to use his love of shredding to make collage, the child embraced this new outlet. Today, Grant Manier wins awards for his striking, realistic collages, made with thousands of torn strips of paper and other shredded media. Another successful artist, obsessed with twisting bits of paper, now makes art using twist ties. This type of art making can help turn a behavior that once caused social problems into a form of self expression and enjoyment."
Art
Lara, J., & Bowers, K. (2013, October). Expressive arts: learning, growing, and expressing. In Autism asperger's digest. Retrieved January 20, 2015, from Autism asperger's digest. website: http://autismdigest.com/expressive-arts-learning-growing-and-expressing/ Article about art being a common language for children with autism. Key Quotes: "The arts provide opportunities to develop language, cognition, fine and gross motor skills, social and life skills, self-esteem and self-expression, and even the opportunity to define potential career paths. The arts are an avenue to developing an otherwise unheard voice. As a vehicle to expression, the arts have the capacity to bring a voice to every human being, encouraging the inner world to connect to the outer world of concrete reality." "Empirical data show us that the arts often increase academic achievement, enhance test scores, and improve attitudes, social skills, and critical and creative thinking (McGarry and Russo 2011). Tones, notes, movement, color, and vibrations support an exercise in developing higher-level thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and problem solving (Wan et al. 2010)." "We have come a long way to begin to accept the arts as powerful, fundamental tools and strategies that not only benefit our kids but become pathways both literally and physically to academic achievement, social inclusion, and community acceptance." "Studies indicate that forward and backward movement—and the starting and stopping, side-to-side motion—paired with music helps stimulate transmission of information in the brain. Temple Grandin tell us in the documentary, Generation A: Portraits of Autism and the Arts, that music is processed in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, and that the rhythm and balancing that dance requires could contribute to our kids' speaking progress. The Horse Boy, by Rupert Isaacson, and music therapy as described in Oliver Sack's study at Columbia University, Musicophilia, add insight into the stimulation of areas of the brain using rocking and music, respectively. Visual arts such as painting, drawing, and sculpture often require dormant brain areas to become activated. Many respond to theater and the performing arts with gusto. It is important to find out how your child learns—visually, kinesthetically, or auditory—to make certain he has access to the intrinsic modality through the arts, which enrich and give meaning and understanding to ourselves and the world around us." "In the end, we know that social skills and expression are a huge challenge for spectrum kids. Our kids are often not able to initiate, create, and sustain meaningful conversations due to speech and language impairment. Faced with their difficulty in both speaking and the cognitive pragmatics of speaking (ideas of language) that are the foundation of all human social interaction, how do we raise the bar? To meet this need, Autism Movement Therapy was especially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorder to jumpstart the integration of neurological transmission of information between the four lobes of the brain via the corpus callosum (Lara 2009). The results have been outstanding. Many of our kids have performed in national theater performances through working with Autism Movement Therapy and The Art of Autism. They have built a portfolio of experience and been lifted to see and share their potential as the unique and gifted individuals they are." "Last year, 77 artists and poets with autism spectrum disorder from around the world were included in the book, The Art of Autism (www.the-art-of-autism.com). Four of the artists included in the book were recognized by the United Nations with Autism Awareness stamps depicting their works of art. How do you imagine that changed their world, their beliefs, their confidence in themselves? What benefits have these artists and poets gained from the exposure, recognition, and potential resume experience? We know your child has unknown talents. Share his gifts of autism through the arts. Be a part of the art movement!"
Autism
Matlik, J. Email communication. March 1, 2015. Primary source interview. Key Quotes: "Well, children with autism have a hard time connecting and communicating with others due to the trademark characteristics of the disorder. And for a long time, educational systems have tried to get these children to fit pre-set molds of traditional communication. The resulting withdrawal in response to both of these factors has left children with autism isolated and misunderstood. "
Dance / Theater
Moffitt, S. (2011, May 11). Dancing can benefit individuals with autism. In Autism key. Retrieved from Autism Key website: http://www.autismkey.com/dancing-can-benefit-individuals-with-autism/ This is an article about using dance as an intervention for children with autism. Key Quotes: "Dance has the power to help unlock the imagination of a concrete thinker and it empowers the dancer to give expression to their inner life, something crucial to children who struggle with other modalities of communication. "
Art
Muzikar, D. (2014, September 18). We must shift our views about autism. In The art of autism. Retrieved January 9, 2015, from The art of autism website: http://the-art-of-autism.com/lori-shayew-we-must-shift-our-views-about-autism/
Music, art, dance / drama
Myles, B., Swanson, T., Holverstott, J., & Duncan, M. (Eds.). (2007). Autism spectrum disorders. A handbook for parents and professionals (Vol. 1). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. A reference book about music, art, and dance therapy Key quotes: "Dance, or movement therapy, is the therapeutic use of movement and dance as a methods to treat emotional, cognitive, social, and physical disorders (95)" "The clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program."(228) "Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses art and the creative process to improve the lives the clients who are served" (19)
Art, Music, dance / drama
Shils, B., & Lara, J. (2015). Generation A: Autism and the arts. In kickstarter. Retrieved January 29, 2015, from kickstarter website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/824005985/generation-a-autism-and-the-arts Generation A is a documentary about using the arts for children with autism. Key Quotes: Dr. Stephen Shore (Professor of Special Education Adelphi University) "Whatever seems to scramble the speech centers of the brain, in autism, leaves the musical ones in tack. It is often possible to reach ah person with autism to through music where speech may not work." Dr. Temple Grandin "Singing and speaking are separate circuits. And so you can sometimes get a situation were a child can sing before they can speak. This where I think music therapy is so important." Wyatt Isaacs (a child with autism) "Autism and sings, together they make a heart. Together they make love. Together they make soulness, and beauty." Joanne Lara (Autism movement therapist) "I'm asking through the music and the movement the child to hear the music process, the sequence and the patterns and then dance. So it takes both sides of the brain to dance."
Fine arts
Sousa, D., Eisner, E., & Levitin, D. (2008). The learning brain: The arts. In The Jossey-Bass reader on the brain and learning (1st ed., pp. 331-370). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This is a general collection book that discusses the importance of Fine arts education. Key Quotes: "Senses are out first avenues to consciousness. Without an intact sensory system we would be unaware of the qualities in the environment to which we now respond. That absence of consciousness would render incapable of distinguishing friend from foe, of nourishing ourselves, or of communicating with others. "(360) "The arts have an important role to play in refining our sensory system and cultivating our imaginative abilities" (362).
Autism
Symptoms. (2015). In Autism speaks. Retrieved January 12, 2015, from Autism Speaks Inc. website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/symptoms Article about the symptoms and characteristics of autism. Key Quotes: "Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas."
Autism
What is autism? (2015). In Autism speaks. Retrieved January 12, 2015, from Autism speaks Inc. website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism Describes what ASD is. Key Quotes: "ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art." "Each individual with autism is unique. Many of those on the autism spectrum have exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have average to above average intellectual abilities." "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. " "Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 68 American children as on the autism spectrum-a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years."