Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects thousands of people throughout the world and has symptoms such as maintaining social interactions and understanding human relationships. The disorder comprises several complex neurological complications in the human brain. Although the cause of autism is still yet to be known, doctors have concluded that it is the result of disruption in the normal brain growth of a fetus.
It is no question that a much-loved place like school can be a place of serious anxiety for autistic students. While Autism treatments in Dubai, as well as all around the world, are seen to work wonders for them, social interactions alongside learning can still be quite a difficult task with autism and need extra interventions.
Some problems faced by autistic people in regards to studies are:
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Sustained attention
People with autism find it difficult to focus on a particular topic for a long period such as focusing on text or studies that gets too confusing and stressful for them. Autistic people have better visual memory and can concentrate and understand more when given visual directions and instructions.
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Setting goals and planners
People with autism have trouble working towards a goal that has not been set by them or is too vague. Having realistic goals which are planned out with shorter day-to-day targets can help autistic people achieve goals without any trouble. Using direct numbers helps them work towards completing them instead of using words like ‘few’ or ‘some’.
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Speech and language control
A big part of acquiring education comes from having social interactions and conversations with other people. Their struggles in speech vary from being nonverbal to using such a tone that makes it difficult for other people to converse. Asking one question at a time, repeating, and direct questions help them answer better, a way of communication seen to be followed by various Autism treatment centers in Dubai.
The role that Arts play in educating Autistic children
Keeping in mind that educating autistic children requires extra and special interventions – Art is proven to have a positive influence on autistic people in all genres of life. Autism results in communication and processing language, while also having an extraordinary ability to think visually looking at pictures. Art thus proves to be an adequate way to help them process memory, record visual information, and express ideas without being verbal. Our center having arts in their training sessions has proven to be of immense help to all the ongoing Autism treatments in Dubai, and the results are drastic.
May it be visual arts or performing arts, independence, creativity, or imagination, – it aids autistic people in understanding complex and abstract concepts.
Visual arts help them –
- Calm down the mind
- Focus on their imagination, which opens the mind to new things.
- Improve motor skills
- Build social interactions and push them to communicate with different people.
- Build confidence to achieve their goals
- Focus on a particular project for a longer time.
- Resolve conflicts
- Reduce stress
- Build a strong sense of self-esteem.
The same goes for performing arts, although this may seem more chaotic for people with autism. Auditory awareness and focusing on rhythms and instruments help autistic people to concentrate on multiple things at a time. This improves motor skills and stimulates the transmission of information in the brain.
When is the right time to start using art as therapy?
Art therapy can build a pathway for children with autism to express their feelings and impressions of the world. They use their creative side to decide the color choices and to use different materials in their own visual form. Art therapy can begin for a child with autism as early as age two or three. In a world that may be otherwise confusing and often overwhelming, art can provide a problem-solving solution that better suits the child’s thinking style. Children going to therapies and having Autism treatments in Dubai are often seen to be recommended incorporating art into their lives by experts.
What is the best practice to Include arts in your child’s learning routine?
Here are a few best art techniques that suit the autistic mind :
- Ice cube drawings – touching that paint with their hand can be uncomfortable for autistic children, drawing with popsicles of paint can allow them to draw their masterpieces without getting their hands dirty.
- Sand art – Some children find sand art very therapeutic, especially those who showcase restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
- Playdough structures – Playdough is a great sensory material, making it ideal for structured, sensory, and pretend play.
- A pro tip – If your child is receptive, make scented play dough to create easily identifiable smells, using ingredients such as lemon juice or cinnamon.
A few things to keep in mind –
- Use the same routine when beginning each session — some degree of structure is important
- Explain instructions in a consistent manner
- Spark curiosity in order to teach new skills
- Be aware of transitions between activities
Some practices might bear adverse effects, and hence we need to be mindful even with a free-flow art activity.
- Being overly directive
- Being too lax with direction
- Using art materials that are over-stimulating — or providing too many options
- Forcing or being too restrictive with communication styles
Conclusion
These are some of the things that help improve the education and learning process of autistic people. Although these are some beneficial points, it is essential to provide autistic people with a calm and supportive environment. A surrounding in which they feel confident and comfortable leads them to succeed and accomplish in life. Even though people assume autistic people to be mentally impaired, the truth is that they are highly gifted in many other aspects of life and are likely to succeed just as much as any other person. The environment at Brainnovation is inspired by this concept and thus focuses on self-awareness in its training sessions, aiming to bring out the best in each individual proven to aid their ongoing Autism treatments in Dubai immensely. Children train, learn and explore their creative selves that transform their personalities into more confident ones, ready to excel in their academic lives!
