Does your child struggle to express themselves? Do you find it challenging to help them develop motor and cognitive skills?
My son Hayden, diagnosed with autism at age three, really struggled with verbal communication. Screaming, head dragging, and hand flapping were how he interacted and communicated with the world because the words just didn’t come out. He was frustrated and I was too. I often asked myself, “How can I help my son”?
Back then there weren’t a lot of online resources available for families with disabilities, so I had to get creative. Eventually, I turned to art. Art can be a transformative tool for children with disabilities, offering a unique way to communicate, develop motor skills, and enhance cognitive abilities.
What Are The Benefits of Art For Children with Disabilities?
Art offers numerous benefits for children with disabilities, including:
- Improved Communication and Expression
- Improved Motor Skills Development
- Cognitive Skill Boost
Studies show that art, in its diverse mediums, is a safe, comfortable, and creative outlet that helps children with disabilities develop practical skills that spill over into all aspects of their lives. Whether in a traditional art class, art therapy session, at home, or at school, various art forms can help your child express their natural creativity, allowing them to thrive mentally and emotionally with a more flexible and relaxed attitude.
1. Improved Communication and Expression
Many children with disabilities struggle to verbally express themselves, which frustrates their desire to make friends. With its many creative avenues, art is a powerful tool to help your child express their inner urge to communicate their thoughts and feelings with the world.
My son Hayden, struggled with verbal communication. He wanted to speak his mind but couldn’t quite string the words together. When he started creating art, it gave him a voice to express his thoughts and feelings. He frequently drew comics featuring characters with expressive body language and facial expressions to communicate. While his comic dialog didn’t make much sense initially, he improved his artistic capabilities over time, and his older sister helped him find the right words to communicate his ideas. The consistent practice of drawing art and pairing it with dialog helped him strengthen his verbal communication.
Research backs up Hayden’s experience. A study by Schweizer et al. (2014) found that art therapy “may add to a more flexible and relaxed attitude, a better self-image, and improved communicative and learning skills” in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While Hayden wasn’t officially in art therapy, these benefits can also include art in daily life.
The free-flowing creativity of art provides a safe space for non-verbal communication. Instead of relying solely on words, children use colors, shapes, and textures to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This is especially helpful for those who struggle with verbal or social interaction. Imagine your child drawing smiling faces to express happiness or an angry facial expression to show frustration. These pictures give important clues to parents about their child’s feelings.
Art goes beyond just expressing emotions. Collaborative art projects encourage interaction and turn art-making into a social activity. I incorporated collaborative art projects throughout Hayden’s homeschool education. We wrote and co-illustrated children’s books and composed music as a family. The kids created Saturn Music & Entertainment as a brand to publish their homeschool projects. You can learn more about this homeschool project on Saturn’s site here.
Additionally, studies by Gilroy (2006) and Schweizer et al. (2014) suggest that art therapy can improve eye contact, another important aspect of communication.
2. Improved Motor Skills Development
Did you know getting creative can also help your child improve their motor skills? Art activities provide a fun and engaging way to strengthen those little muscles in their hands and wrists.
Various art materials and techniques can strengthen fine motor skills, like pencil grip and hand-eye coordination, from holding a paintbrush to squishing clay. Consider the focus and dexterity required to draw a detailed picture, cut out shapes, or sculpt a masterpiece—all these activities contribute to better motor control.
Research by Schweizer et al. (2014) also suggests that art therapy can have a broader impact on motor skills and planning. Art projects require planning, such as deciding what to create, gathering materials, and following instructions to complete the project. Engaging in art activities can help children develop overall motor skills and improve their ability to follow instructions and complete tasks.
In Hayden’s case, imagine the planning involved in deciding what to create – gathering materials and following through with the project. The process uses many skills, including motor, reasoning, and creativity, to tell the story as he imagines it. Hayden mastered using comic book-type characters to play out what he was thinking and feeling, going from crayon to colored pencil, sometimes using an eraser, and developing dexterity as he drew and colored.
Observing Hayden during his art time, I noticed that he often sang to himself, a sign of mental harmony and focus. While writing the dialogue going back and forth between characters, he spoke under his breath using voice inflections. His mind was shaping communication while he was working on his motor skills.
Art activities can help children improve their motor skills while engaging their cognitive abilities, making the creative process enjoyable and beneficial.
3. Cognitive Skills Boost
Art activities are more than just fun; they enhance various cognitive skills. Studies like the one by Schweizer et al. (2014) suggest that art therapy can also improve spatial reasoning, which is the ability to understand the relationships between objects in space.
As your child experiments with different colors, textures, and techniques, they’ll enhance their focus, problem-solving abilities, and creative thinking. After deciding what to create and gathering the materials, your child must follow instructions to complete the project. Mixing colors to create a new shade, figuring out how to build a stable sculpture, or deciding what shapes to cut out for a collage—all these experiences involve critical thinking and planning.
Additionally, research by Gilroy (2006), as mentioned in Schweizer et al. (2014), suggests that art therapy can enhance cognitive development by introducing concepts of cause and effect. For example, mixing different colors to create a new shade demonstrates this relationship.
Getting Started with Art at Home
Art offers incredible benefits for children with disabilities. You can easily incorporate creative activities into your home routine to help your child improve cognitive, motor, and communication skills. The key here is to focus on the joy of creating together, not achieving a perfect masterpiece.
Here are some tools I’ve used that have helped my son:
- Create Your Own Comic Book: https://amzn.to/3xfNrtZ (Amazon)
- Flip Book Kit: https://amzn.to/4cc7gBi (Amazon)
- Modeling Clay Kit: https://amzn.to/3VeKVMP (Amazon)
- Glow in the Dark Rock Painting: https://amzn.to/3yPbuRd (Amazon)
- Create-and-Carry Art Supplies Kit (Hayden brought this everywhere): https://amzn.to/3Kz0sSB (Amazon)
We created our children’s books through Amazon KDP, but this book-making kit on Amazon is the next best option for younger kids.
Art isn’t just about creating pretty pictures; the benefits of art for children with disabilities can be profound. Incorporating creative activities into your home routine can help your child improve cognitive, motor, and communication skills.
Engaging in art has led to significant positive results for my son Hayden. It has enhanced his ability to express himself, developed his fine motor skills, and boosted his cognitive abilities.
By enjoying the process together, you’ll support their development and create lasting memories, helping them thrive and feel integrated into their social community.
