"Art As Therapy": Sensory Activities for the Child with Autism

Very often my goals as an art therapist will focus on the creative expression in developing the child’s imagination, communication and socialization skills. These are all areas that the child with Autism Spectrum Disorder is working on in school, home and other therapies as well. However, sometimes art can simple be used in a more non-directed way and purely allow the child to experience the sensory elements of the materials.


In the field of Art Therapy, using the model of “Art as Therapy” is a process that allows individuals to experience the art making with little direction. This then allows them to gain insight and open up to their feelings in their own time. However, with the population of Autism, I see the “Art as Therapy” model more about the intrinsic sensory processes and believe that it can benefit the child that needs to “just have fun” with the creative activities. Having fun and engaging in this experience can then ultimately regulate the senses, emotions and behaviors.

Let’s explore some techniques and materials that both professionals and parents can use to help their children have this experience. These are some activities that can be adapted for any functioning level by either limiting the amount of materials presented and/or limiting the time allotted

Cornstarch Goo

This activity can be a little messy, but often will be a fun way to build a tolerance to wet materials. It is more a “play” activity rather than an art making one, because there is no product at the end. Sometimes the simplest of ingredients can create a great tactile experience- cornstarch and water is a great example of that. Combining these two ingredients makes a fun “goo” that acts like a solid and a liquid at the same time. It’s a great learning activity that will fascinate the kids about how things work.

Making the goo: In a medium size bowl, start with 1 cup of cornstarch and add the water one tablespoon at a time. Stir carefully and add a bit more water or cornstarch as needed to get the right consistency. You’ll know the right consistency when you see it — you won’t quite be able to stir it, but it will still look liquid.

The mixture will act like a solid when you squeeze it or press on it, but when you let it relax; it turns into liquid-like goo. Have the child scrape some up out of the bowl and squeeze it in their hand and watch the material form shapes. Then tell them to relax their hand and watch the shape melt between their fingers and drip back into the bowl. Make a game out of it by seeing how long the shape can stay solid before dripping back to liquid.

Colored Rice Mosaics

This is a project that can be both tactile as well as creative. The senses are engaged, while the goal will be to produce a work of colorful art. The preparation should be done before presenting to the child.

Ingredients: 1 cup dry white rice, 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol or white vinegar, 3 to 4 drops food coloring, medium size bowl and spoon, and waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Making the Colored Rice: Measure the dry rice into a bowl. Add the rubbing alcohol or vinegar, and stir well to coat. Drop on the food coloring, stirring between each drop. Add food coloring, and keep mixing until the rice is your desired color. Place a sheet of waxed paper or foil on a flat surface. Pour the colored rice onto the waxed paper or aluminum foil. Allow the colored rice to dry completely. This usually takes about 30-60 minutes. Repeat steps to make additional colors of rice.

Making Art with the Colored Rice: To make a mosaic, have the child draw a simple a design onto a piece of cardstock or thin cardboard. Add glue to the design, one area at a time, and then sprinkle on the colored rice. Children with ASD might become over stimulated if given too much rice at once, so it is best to put the rice in small paper cups (bathroom size works well). Also, when applying the glue, give children a small amount with a paintbrush- this helps with the “over squeeze” we often see children engaging in when given the glue container. This activity can be a nice way to teach shapes and colors for younger children by filling simple outlines. For older children, more intricate designs can be incorporated.

Musical Shakers

By making a musical shaker, children can learn how the tactile elements create sound; allowing them to experiment and feel the items as they are used in fun ways.

Here are some things you can collect to make a variety of shakers: coffee cans, plastic yogurt containers, spice bottles, paper towel rolls. Inside materials: dried peas, popcorn, pennies, dried macaroni, dried beans, and other materials that child may be drawn to. (* this activity should be highly supervised with children who are very oral)

Steps for making shakers: Wash and dry all the empty containers. Have child pick out and choose one to decorate. They can use a variety of art materials to cover the container depending on their age and functioning level. Construction paper is usually a nice way to cover any lettering or labels that have not come off. Offer markers, crayons or glitter glue. Allow the container to dry before filling it.

Experiment with the dried materials by having child reach into the bowl and feel around. Ask child what they think adding that to a shaker would sound like? Let them do this with a few different textures.

When ready, fill each container between one half and two thirds full with the dried beans, macaroni, peas, popcorn seeds or rice. You can mix a couple of the dried ingredients together with some pennies to create different sounds. Attach the lids of the containers, making sure they are tightly sealed. Let them shake, shake, shake, and then you can turn on their favorite songs and let them play to the music.

Before the Meltdown: Sensory, Emotional and Behavioral Interplay

Most children who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum have difficulty regulating their emotions and maintaining a calm state as we know. Children with autism and special needs go through similar emotional challenges as typical children do, but it takes them longer to get through them and it may take some creative techniques. In addition, it is sometimes difficult to recognize which emotions may be prominent in the child with ASD because sensory needs may look like an emotional or behavioral reaction.

Parents, teachers and therapists can help by recognizing the emotions and offering empathy when behaviors escalate. De-escalation is the key. By learning about the child’s sensory issues, and behavioral triggers we can begin to recognize the signs before hand; and thereby help the child regulate and avoid an emotional meltdown.


If and when emotions become overwhelming to the child, try to acknowledge those feelings and not stop them from being expressed. Tell the child that when he cries it is caused by a feeling and that it will pass like a dark cloud. The sun will come out again, even though it feels like the sky is falling. Help him learn to take a few slow deep breaths when he first begins to feel upset.


In our creative arts therapy groups or in any other social skills or therapeutic groups, we can address these issues both in neutral times, when there is no upset as well as when a child in the group starts have difficulties. We can praise the children when we see them regulating themselves and we can offer mirroring for when we notice that negative behaviors are escalating.


Example
A child may start banging the table and fidgeting, so we need to recognize this behavior whether out of frustration or another sensory need and take it as a “sign”. We may reflect back to the child either verbally, “I see you are banging the table Johnny, sometimes it is hard to stay in our seats…. And you are doing so well…..” Or perhaps, non-verbally bang along with the child and create a playful interchange. (I have offered clay or model magic and that seems to work wonders for frustration control) However, that banging on the table could have in fact been a sensory need to move, or hear sound, or just feel the table against his hands. We may not always get it right, but we are still recognizing the need. In any case, as we get to know the children in our classes or groups we can distinguish their needs, emotions and behaviors.


Taking breaks and using sensory toys and art materials may help a child regulate when frustration levels seem overwhelming within the group. When a child needs that break, have an aide work with them for a set amount of time a little bit away from the group; not leaving the room entirely unless necessary. Then allow that child to slowly rejoin the activity when ready and then praise them for their efforts.

Art Makes Sense- Sensory Art Therapy

Creative art making can offer unique ways for children to gain a sense of control and mastery of their environment, grow in self expression, self awareness and self-esteem. This holds true for children with special needs, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and other developmental issues as well. However, these children very often have “sensory” issues or sensory integration disorder which can affect their responses to various art materials.

That is why it is important to have a trained and credentialed art therapist or related professional assess the child and create a customized program that can help the child with sensory issues while at the same time engage in creative expression.

Children may experience deficits in one or several sensory areas; the most often observed is visual processing, auditory processing, and “tactile defensiveness” (an aversion to certain textures and touching). Art making with an experienced therapist can often break through these issues in a fun and non-threatening way; enabling the child to experience new and creative expression.

Visual Techniques:
Art making is obviously a visual modality, but those children with visual processing issues may need adaptations, concrete steps, and prompts in order to follow effectively. Sometimes using a page border helps contain the image making. Using dark colors on white paper or white chalk on black paper can create maximum contrast. Utilizing thicker crayons and markers can build a stronger visual focus. Also, the therapist can incorporate dotted lines as a “starter” for the child to trace around lines or shapes. Another processing technique is to present materials in a clock-like manner one by one; avoiding too many materials in the working space.

Helpful Techniques for Auditory Processing Difficulties
• Combine verbal instructions with sign language or hand motions
• Make sure the art making activity is presented in a quiet room or area
• Utilize pictures or “samples” of a particular art project when giving directions
• Use visual cues when transitioning from one activity to another along with instructions (such as flashing lights on and off in the room)

What is Tactile Defensiveness?
The main cause is neurological disorganization in the midbrain region of the brain which is basically responsible for filtering incoming stimuli, and, may not sufficiently screen out all extraneous tactile stimulation causing the child to perceive the input as extreme and uncomfortable. The central nervous system ability to process tactile sensory input is distorted causing the child great discomfort. Their brain may register subtle sensations as extreme irritation or even painful and he may respond in an abnormally reactive way such as grimacing or pulling away from the stimulus.

Sensory based art making is a fascinating modality that allows children to engage in creative expression with no pressures. Using this approach, an Art Therapist can assess the severity of tactile issues and can help the child build tolerance in this area. Depending on the nature of the tactile defensiveness, the art therapist can use materials within the art making or as a separate activity of just playing with the materials; this starts the process of de-sensitizing the child in a fun and non-threatening manner.

Here are some art and play materials that are often used:
• Cornstarch and water play (creates a “gooey-like substance)
• Feathers, chenille, pom-poms to create “texture collages”
• Water-play using food dye and various containers
• Play dough, putty, and other modeling compounds
• String, felt, other craft materials
• Sand –art
• Shaving cream finger-painting
• Rice, shredded tissue paper

The list goes on and the therapist can create recipes and projects that are tailored to the child’s interests to encourage engagement. The caution here would be to go slowly and not overwhelm or over stimulate the child with an abundance of tactile materials. Let the child take the lead and if the child responds negatively, make a note and try new materials.

Art Makes Sense-Sensory Art Therapy by Pamela Ullmann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.