Creative Interventions for Children with Special Needs

CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

 Freedom of expression is a basic tool for the healthy development of full selfhood

Children with emotional and/or organic problems frequently have trouble developing a positive self concept. They can develop non-productive emotional and behavioral patterns in an attempt to compensate for or to avoid difficulties. Examples of such patterns are fighting, clowning around or becoming “invisible” when self esteem is at stake.

Movement therapy begins with children’s strengths and uses them to explore problem areas. It provides safe surroundings in which children can express themselves in tangible ways, experience communication with others and increase the options available to them for meeting their own needs and the requirements of the world.

  Dance movement therapy offers children an opportunity to:

  • explore feelings about themselves and the environment
  • develop new skills to deal with perceptual motor deficits to increase self esteem.

In a playful atmosphere activities are structured to increase concentration, impulse control and frustration tolerance. Through improvisation and role playing, children can become aware of defeating behaviors and begin to experiment with new ones. Since there is no right or wrong in improvisation, success is assured. Problem solving through movement increases self-confidence and group work provides a positive, shared social experience.

Creative Interventions: Outcome Oriented Programs For Children and Families

With A Focus On:

Decreasing acting out behaviors

  • Realizing appropriate limits
  • Building a sense of responsibility
  • Being a leader 
  • Comforting yourself and being comforted
  • Developing interpersonal skills 
  • Having more ability to concentrate
  • Gaining impulse control
  • Increasing frustration tolerance 
  • Experiencing positive social interactions 
  • Making easy transitions 
  • Honoring multi-cultural diversity 
  • Learning how to be creative 
  • Participating in conflict resolution 
  • Forming and developing relationships
  • Understanding personal boundaries