6^th International Congress of the WIAMH

Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 13 - 15, 1999.

ART THERAPY AND REHABILITATION IN THE CENTRE "STEPS OF HOPE"

Ajša MAHMUTAGIĆĆ, Adem MAHMUTAGIĆ, Azra DELALIĆ, Jasna
SULJAGIĆ, A. RISSANEN, K. KOYKKA

Faculty for Special Education of the Tuzla University,
Clinic for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Clinical Centre, Faculty of Medicine of the Tuzla
University, Centre for Children Disturbed in Development "Steps of Hope", 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Polytechnic School for Social Studies, Seinajoki, Finland

On the case of seven children with mobility disturbances, we have applied the rehabilitation and special education programme of the art therapy with visual and mobile, tactile and manipulative, as well as cognitive and perceptive stimulation, with the goal to release creative potentials. In the environment of individually and collectively invented creation, we had applied various contents and techniques – drawing, painting, palm and finger painting, modelling, etc – with various materials – clay, pasta, paper, dry flowers, dry fruits, harvest, fabric, wool, metal, plastic and other. The general impression is that the applied rehabilitation method of art therapy had improved the level of visual and mobile, tactile and manipulative, as well as perceptive and cognitive activities in the analytical and synthetic stimulation. It had decreased the level of aggression and depression and had initiated spontaneous mechanisms of compensation. It had also improved acceptance of own handicap, raised the level of self-confidence, improved imagination, and attention; and generally had contributed to psychosocial adaptation as the preposition for successful social integration. Positive influence of creative therapy is also seen in strengthening of inner motivation, aesthetic and functional quality, mobility and physical position. Those children had also shown interest in aesthetic formulation of the environment in which they lived, and that is another indicator of the art therapy influence.

Key words: Rehabilitation – Creativity – Therapy

Reference:

1. Pijaže Ž (1977) Psychology of Intelligence. Beograd: Nolit
2. Inhelder B (1988) Intellectual Development of a Child: Zavod za udžbenike i nastavna sredstva Beograd
3. Kiš-Glavaš L, Teodorović B. i Levandovski D (1991) Programme of Fundamental Perceptive and Mobile Stimulation. Zagreb: Fakultet za defektologiju