How can art help children with ADHD to focus?
Children in general benefit from developing skills in art. Children with most mental health disorders can be helped by learning skills in art. Daniella Barroqueiro, Ed.D. is a college professor who herself has what she describes as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She sees evidence that the downside of ADHD and ADD can be reversed and become instead a positive. Art as a creative outlet, which she finds much pleasure in, has helped her to channel symptoms associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a positive direction, in the art room. Daniella states,
“When talking about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it is common to focus on the ‘downside’ of the disorder, the challenges, the frustration, how to ‘fix’ a problem or a set of problems. Notice I refer to a downside, which implies that there is also an upside to having ADHD/ADD. Intelligence, creativity, spontaneity and the ability to hyper-focus (yes, hyper-focus) are among the characteristics commonly found in people with ADHD/ADD.”
Regular participation in art can help a person to gain self control, it can give a child a way of expressing themselves emotionally. It can help one to learn to maintain sustained concentration. It can be effective in helping to stabilize erratic moods. It also helps adults and children to acquire time for their minds to find peace, and to heal. It can be a part of natural healing. The mind that is bombarded by constant stimulation of TV, music, or violence in the media, has little time to heal.
When art is considered as an effective self help coping skill, or that parents, educators and caregivers can encourage, for children who have mental health difficulties or who are emotionally wounded, it can be of much value. Art therapy and art as a self help coping skill, {in the long-term, when considered in terms of long-term efficacy}, can be more effective than the use of psychotropic drugs which usually have numberous and serious side-effects for most children and adults, and which are being overprescribed today.
Art therapy can also be of value in addiction treatment, as it helps to build self esteem, which is essential in overcoming any type of addiction. Art and professional art therapy also can be of value in helping those addicted to porn to break that chain of addiction. Addiction to pornography and masturbation can be two things that are contributing factors towards depression for some persons. One university study has confirmed this correlation.
Art definitly is a positive for children. There are many benefits for children if parents help them to learn to develop an interest in art. Some of those benefits are, it helps children avoid overindulgence in television, movies and video games. Self esteem and a feeling of self worth can be enhanced by children, as they have tangible evidence of what they can produce from their creative artistic ablilities. To see is to believe. “If I did that, then I must have some value.”
When a child begins to find pleasure in developing his artistic talents in art regularly, it is likely that he or she may find pleasure in producing art over his or her lifetime, especially if he or she understands why art can be be of help, and how TV and especially, violent and highly charged sexualized content, can negatively impact the brain and psychology, the emotions of a child or an adult. Developing interest in art can help a child become significantly more creative, to use his imagination to a fuller capacity, as well as to become a doer rather than simply a passive viewer.
This article was produced by John Samuels of the Association for Natural Psychology. Please also visit our bookstore. Natural psychology, self help for treatment of mental health disorders, natural cures of mental health disorders, depression treatment without drugs, positive parenting, raising and teaching special needs children, and a variety of related subjects are considered. You can also see our new book,
Overcoming ADHD without Medication: A Parent’s and Educator’s Guidebook on Amazon, Alibris and other online locations. The Association for Natural Psychology is a New Jersey non-profit corporation.
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