Describes experiences in using art with the homeless in an open studio approach. Discusses how offering open studio time with a range of materials showed that the homeless, each with a unique style and personal interests, were eager to create art objects and present them to the public. (RJM)

Ruth Faison Shaw was an art educator who developed a nontraditional educational perspective of teaching and a different vision about children's art. As such, she is considered by some to be the initiator of finger-painting in America (The History of Art Education Timeline 1930-1939, 2002.) Shaw developed the technique of finger-painting and a…

Art therapy involving 10 weekly sessions improved the peer relationships and socialization skills of six 10-year-old emotionally disturbed boys. (BRT)

An art therapist describes her work with sixty residents (6-35 years old) in a treatment center for mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed persons. The author discusses definitions, translations, and therapeutic approaches of art therapy. Goals are listed for each approach, and the planning of art activities to meet these goals is…

The visual arts can be employed as a counseling vehicle for gifted, creative, and talented students. Color, image proportion, subject matter, and texture in student art facilitate assessment and guidance. Craft, drawing, painting, photography, printing, design, and sculpture activities which could help in this process are briefly described. (CB)

Access to the arts requires facilities, programs, and services that enable the handicapped to participate in all kinds of art. Some training programs for special education teachers and classroom teachers are described. (Author/MLF)

Possibly one of the most confusing and controversial aspects of the practice of art therapy has been the maintenance, storage, and disposition of client art expressions. The AATA (American Art Therapy Association) Code of Ethics for Art Therapists and its 1994 revision, "Ethical Standards for Art Therapists," are critiqued. There has been…

Contends that art therapy promotes mental health beyond diagnosing and treating illness. Outlines four overlapping ways that art contributes to mental health: (1) giving people a sense of identity and place; (2) conferring status; (3) expanding and directing thought processes; and (4) utilizing the security of the rhythmic "takeover"…

Explains how art, a nonverbal form of communication, can ease separation anxiety in young children, allowing them to express issues that are important to them. Gives practical tips for teachers to set up an open art area in the classroom and suggested activities include group puzzles and quilts, homemade books, collage art, and puppets. (ET)

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families and protecting every child from harm. By publishing a diverse range of views on a wide array of topics, "Children's…

Ludwig Wittgenstein's thought embraces two complementary projects: what he called his therapeutic work which was aimed at treating philosophical questions as though they were an illness, and his reconstructive work which emerges from this therapeutic endeavor. Wittgenstein describes his therapeutic work as an exercise that involves destroying…

The author's students were an unhappy, skeptical group of middle school students. Many of them had emotional issues. Many had drug addiction and prostitution in their broken and poverty-ridden families. Her school, which is a small charter school in a remote Arizona town, was a place of last resort for these students, who probably would not…

Designed to provide information about arts opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities, this publication describes Very Special Arts (VSA) program activities in the United States that are planned for the period of October 1, 1996, through September 30, 1997. The prospectus begins with an overview of the different types of VSA programs,…

The purpose of this paper is to explain how origami can be used to foster life and academic skills in struggling students in rural schools. At-risk students often lack the social, behavioral, study, self-management, academic and life skills to face their daily challenges. This paper describes: (1) benefits of origami and its integration into…

An art therapist addresses the issue of art therapy within the public school system. She describes her involvement within a cooperative special education program in which she provides direct individual and group therapy as well as consultation to regular class teachers. She reviews methods, materials, and approaches she has used in working with…