Colorful Conversations: Enhancing Communication in Nonspeaking Toddlers Through Art Therapy

Author

Joy WuFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-18-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MAE - Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Raquel Stephenson

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to learn how art therapy helps non-speaking children ages two years old build up their communication with others. Although there are not many early publications on the benefit of art therapy to children ages two, the existing research suggests that art therapy can aid those children in speaking based on the experience of art making. During the art creation process, engaging with art materials and their potential power can enable the expression and conveyance of emotions as art serves as containment. Therefore, art therapy can assist nonspeaking toddlers to begin communicating verbally. This writer has worked on developing different methodologies in communication with nonspeaking toddlers. These methodologies combined the work of art therapy with ongoing speech therapy through a client aged two who is enrolled in the Early Intervention Program of a hospital due to speech and developmental delays. With the work of these methodologies, the collected data identified themes of emotional connection establishment, emotional expressions, and verbalization enhancement. The findings have shown significant progress in the participant such as increased vocabulary, consciousness of the environment, enhanced interaction with others, and improved emotional expression.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Wu, Joy, "Colorful Conversations: Enhancing Communication in Nonspeaking Toddlers Through Art Therapy" (2024). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 882.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/882