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Autistic Youth: Art Therapy and Social Skills 1 Running Head: AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 1 Autistic Youth: Using Art Therapy to Increase Social Skills Tandy L. Hale, BSE A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Master of Arts Degree in Art Therapy Department of Graduate Art Therapy Program Saint Mary-of- the-Woods College Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana April 2015 AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 2 Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disease diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, characterized by delays in global functioning usually in social, cognitive, and emotional responses. In this research, the question asked whether two young boys with ASD could gain social skills when introduced to art therapy in a small group setting. A qualitative and phenomenological method was used to examine the use of social context within an interactive art therapy intervention. The participants were African American male siblings aged 5-8 who were diagnosed with ASD. Art processes as well as checklists completed by the children, their guardian, and the researcher were incorporated in the method. An outside rater and the researcher, acted as participant observer, witnessed the actions and behaviors of the participants and recorded the data. Thematic analysis was used to process the data. Findings suggested that siblings doing artwork in a therapeutic setting may have affected symptomology in a positive manner and decreased behavior patterns, but because there were only two sessions the conclusion was not definitive. AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 3 Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible if it were not for the support and assistance of the generous and compassionate individuals around me, to only some of whom it is possible to mention here. First and foremost, I would like to thank my husband and family for the never-ending faith in my abilities, friendship and providing individual strength and support, both morally and financially to complete the program. My gratitude is genuine and heartfelt yet, my mere verbal expressions cannot suffice. Along with this is my adopted family, Rosalie and Richard McDevitt, Patricia and Gordon Lewis, and my entire cohort for the encouragement and support that has helped myself reach this point in my academic career. Finally, I would like to acknowledge Nancy Happ for allowing my research to be conducted at her pediatric day clinic. I am forever indebted to my academic institution faculty at Saint Mary of the Woods College. Without the patience, fortitude, and prodigious advice from these insurmountably knowledgeable people, thesis completion would have been indubitably impossible. Again, I remain unable to name each person here, nevertheless I desire to extend a special thanks to my supervisor, Mary Hluska; second supervisor and assistant director of the Masters of Art Therapy Program, Jill McNutt; second reader, Abby Calisch; program director, Kathy Gotshall; academic affairs president, Janet Clark; the entire IRB Department; and finally my greatest resource and librarian, Judy Tribble. Conclusively, I must recognize my editor, Marsha Heck for her literary guidance. AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................3 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................6 I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................7 Research Question ...............................................................................................................7 Basic Assumptions ...............................................................................................................7 Explanation and Purpose of the Study .................................................................................8 Hypotheses ...........................................................................................................................8 Definition of Terms..............................................................................................................8 Concerning the Literature Review .....................................................................................10 Limitations .........................................................................................................................11 Merits of the Study.............................................................................................................11 II. LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................................12 Human Development .........................................................................................................12 Childhood Play...................................................................................................................15 Skills and Development .....................................................................................................17 Art Use with Autism Spectrum Disorder Population ........................................................19 Autism, Asperger’s, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Development ..................................22 Communication ..................................................................................................................24 Socialization .......................................................................................................................28 Sensory Regulation ............................................................................................................31 Sensory Integration ............................................................................................................32 Academics ..........................................................................................................................33 Art Making .........................................................................................................................35 Current Findings ................................................................................................................38 Interventions ......................................................................................................................40 Multiplex Families .............................................................................................................46 Summary ............................................................................................................................47 III. METHODS .............................................................................................................................49 Research Design.................................................................................................................49 The Participants .................................................................................................................50 Procedure ...........................................................................................................................50 Data Collection and Analysis.............................................................................................52 IV. RESULTS OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................................54 Results ................................................................................................................................54 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................61 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................63 AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 5 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................65 APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................74 APPENDIX A - Researcher’s Communication and Social Skills Checklist .................................74 APPENDIX B - Parent Social Skills Checklist .............................................................................77 APPENDIX C - Spence Anxiety Scale ..........................................................................................79 APPENDIX D - Research supplies ................................................................................................81 AUTISTIC YOUTH: ART THERAPY AND SOCIAL SKILLS 6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Siblings art-making process a ........................................................................................54 Figure 2. Siblings art-making process b .......................................................................................55 Figure 3. Siblings art-making process c ........................................................................................55 Figure 4. Siblings art-making process d .......................................................................................56 Figure 5. Siblings finished art a ....................................................................................................58
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