Beyond autism through creative arts therapies : a parents’ and therapists’ perspective

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience creative arts therapies as viewed from a therapists’ and parents’ perspective. Research in this area is still in its infancy and there is a need for more evidence-based practice (Karkou, 2012). To carry out this research, the author performed semi-structured interviews with five therapists and three parents that were chosen through purposive sampling. Analysis of the data was performed using thematic analysis by identifying the core concepts and then clustering them into more concise themes. The analysis revealed four main themes: Therapeutic relationship, needs, improvements, and difficulties. This study offers a better understanding of the way creative arts therapies operate with children with ASD and concludes with recommendations for future research in this field.