Part of the Team; Art Therapy with Pre-School Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities in a Children's Treatment Centre Setting

Abstract

There are twenty-one children's treatment centres in the province of Ontario which provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and social work to children and youth with developmental disabilities. Some of the centres provide the additional services of psychological assessments, therapeutic recreation, behaviour therapy, and music therapy. Only one centre has an established art therapy/expressive arts program.This paper explores the present method of delivering psychotherapy services to clients of children's treatment centres and discusses the relevance of art therapy as an effective form of psychotherapy that also enhances and reinforces occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and physiotherapy.