Posted: May 18, 2016
One of the unfortunate conditions associated with Cerebral Palsy involves difficulty communicating. Whether this revolves around struggles with verbalizing or cognitive issues, the fact remains that children often face challenges when looking to express feelings, thoughts, needs and more. Assistive technology is an effective way to get the everyday needs communicating, but what about deeper, more emotional thoughts. We believe art is a fantastic medium for children to express themselves and those living with Cerebral Palsy are no different.
Beyond being a quality avenue for therapy, art also has significant value in helping children find unique ways to communicate. The use of different colors, strokes and settings can help in helping a child explore feelings and abstract ideas, while collages can serve as inspirational. Ultimately, exploring different avenues for putting together a piece of art that speaks visually not only changes up your everyday, it also helps your child have a hands-on approach to the creative process.
We’ve talked about the idea of a goal board but want to reiterate that a visual depiction of goals can have value; creating art that captures aspirations can be a daily reminder of where things can go through hard work and effort. Art does not need to only be about expressing feelings but can also depict the journey your child has been on and where he or she would like to go.
Crafts can be an excellent ‘art’ effort that encourages your child to contribute to decorations and feel pride in a job well done. We have, and will continue to, put together a variety of crafts that are seasonal or revolve around major holidays on our blog. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the various crafts we have published over time and don’t hesitate to suggest an idea to us over Facebook!
The therapeutic value of helping your child express emotions and feelings through art can also be cathartic for you and other loved ones. The sense of pride that can come from a completed work will not only be felt by your child but your family as well; art is an excellent way to get your child involved in holiday preparations or to recognize milestones in their life. There are also actual, tangible therapy components to art that can be explored as sensory play and art therapy are two efforts that can revolve around the unique objects or pictures your child creates!
Looking for some art ideas? Check suggestions from these sites out!
