Identity and Artistic Expression of Autistic Children's Painting as a Therapeutic Process

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders were growing nowadays. This encourages researchers to explore the autistic child’s healing methods. Art has the flexibility that makes it possible to enter into health as a method of therapy for children with autism. Art offers autistic children how to communicate using symbolization through its painting. The symbolization is also had distinctive artistic expression and has its own cultural identity. The creative expression of autistic children is not only in the paintings but also in the painting process. This study uses synaesthetic and multisensory perspectives, to (1) study the contemporary performance style shown by autistic children during the painting process as a therapeutic process; (2) as the point of view of reading the symbolization in the autistic child’s painting. During the therapeutic process, autistic children and therapists engage together and experience transcendental happenings, make and exploring whole ideas, and experience unique in styles and concepts. The results show that art occupies a position between therapeutic action and creative action: (1) art can be used as a therapy process through its creative process; (2) the therapeutic process can be seen as performing arts; (3) integration between empathy room autistic children-coatings can elicit the potential of autistic children who are visualized through the artistic value of the artwork. This research expected can introduce art as one of the therapy methods for children with autism as well as an art form that puts the identity, originality, and artistic characteristics of children with autism.

Publication
In Neurizons 2020