When you have a child that has a learning disability, you’re always looking for ways to help them learn and overcome the problems. When you find something that works, you need to stick with that technique. You may run into a problem where the technique you use stops working and not know what to do.
Whether you’re in a situation where you’re trying to find something that works or you’re trying to find something new when what you tried stops working, you need all the help you can get. You may take suggestions from others, but what about research? Research is a good thing because you’ll see how it’s worked for others.
There was a study performed on special needs children that were from four to nine years of age. This study used art work as a form of therapy and the results may surprise you.
This study was done in Karachi which is in Pakistan. The number of children in this area that have problems is quite large, so it was the perfect place. There were 80 children between four and nine that were selected for this study.
Exercise sheets and flash cards were used for the study and each was geared toward the cognitive skills and colors, shapes, and craft activities were used. Several methods were used to administer the test and each child was graded based on those methods and how they did.
What the main outcome of the study determined is most of the children have problems with problem solving, understanding concepts, and processing information. Those problems are difficult to handle when it comes to every day life, which is the main reason why you need to get your child help early and as soon as it’s detected.
The main reason why art therapy works in children is due the relief it can give. Words can cause stress and overwhelm where art work doesn’t do that. It may be easier for a child to understand and grasp what they see in the pictures rather then words on a paper.
Another thing that was studied in this research is art work created by the children. When they have the ability to draw or paint what they want, they have a chance to express their feelings. It also shows they are more cheerful and they may feel better about their life.
When children have a sense of transformation and fulfillment, they’ll do better in their studies and they’ll try harder to overcome their disabilities. When they see what they do is good and people around them are happy with it, they’ll have more motivation and they’ll be healthier. Sound familiar parents? Don't we do the same? We all have an innate desire to achieve and avoid being a failure.
Children with learning disabilities struggle to learn in the same way as others. This makes it hard for them to be in a regular classroom setting, but most schools only have that option. With the recent budget cuts across the U.S., your child is potentially looking at an even bigger room of students to contend with in school.
Artwork and flash cards are two techniques you can use to help your child overcome learning disabilities. If you’re not currently using these options, you should give them a try. According to the study mentioned above, they work very well.
What I found very interesting about the article and why I chose to include this in this week's blog is because the supplemental pieces that I use in my programs combine artwork, visual and hands-on creative work. Not surprisingly, the children enjoy these activities and often will ask if they can work extra hard with me on their program to earn a little more time with the supplemental pieces.
The children are very proud of their artwork that they produce and will often run and show their parents in hopes the family will hang it up on the fridge or better yet frame it. The children often start out unable to draw successfully because of visual spatial challenges along with visual motor weaknesses. By the end of their 12 week program though, they are thrilled to take on the challenging exercises requiring pencil to paper sketching.
Why not help your child today? Take 30 minutes of your busy day and call me to talk about how we can work together to change your child's life for the better.
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