Use Of Art Therapy In Children With Attention Deficit Disorder And Hyperactivity (Adhd)

Use of art therapy in children with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity (ADHD)

Introduction

The collection of 5 studies carried out in different years which pose art therapy as a new psychological therapy tool for children who suffer from ADHD, have been analyzed to obtain a conclusion of the advantages or not of this instrument. This disorder is characterized by attention deficit, impulsivity, inappropriate response to functions, low self – esteem and social mismatch. After raising the hypothesis that "the use of art therapy in patients with ADHD improves their quality of life in all areas" was accepted with each one the methodologies proposed by each article. Art therapy in children who were participating in the investigation presented after having completed the sessions, notable improvements such as the ability to comply with orders, focus on what they are doing, planning, organization, sharing with other children, etc.

Developing

Today, it is known as ADHD as “a pathology that reaches a prevalence of 3 to 5% of the children’s age -age population” (from Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, 2016, P. 293). It is as Massaud Santiller mentions, (2006) This disease not only affects the infant but also the entire environment of people around him (parents, family, friends, etc.). As Gallardo Saavedra supports, et al., (2010) Its most palpable manifestations are presented at school age or before 12 years.

On the causes that give rise to the disease in the child there are different ideas, Gallardo Saavedra, et al.

, (2010) They tell us that they can be factors of genetic origin.

The manifestations of the known disease are an “inappropriate level in attention or hyperactivity, excessive movements in inappropriate situations, loss of care in a sustained way, alterations in the executive function, inhibition processes and inappropriate response times due to the difficulties in the functionof error correction ”(Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, 2016), which can be manifested at any age of the child. Where is more common in boys than in girls. The fact of suffering from ADHD can be in the future of great damage because as they describe from Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, (2016), in addition, the most important cause of school failure and social mismatch also mood and social damage.

Medical science and psychology have tried to respond to such a problem and some intervention modalities have been established. The treatment of this disability is the “pharmacological, the psychological in its various modalities and the terrain of neuropsychological intervention” (from Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, 2016, P. 294). The drugs have demonstrated greater efficacy in the control of symptoms with stimulants such as: dextroanfetamine, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, and magnetic pemololine (Massoud Santiller, 2006). All these medications facilitate the action of dopamine and noreprenaline (the two neurotransmitters involved in the disorder) and therefore act immediately. However, the use of drugs is complemented by psychological sessions for low self – esteem support, in impulsive control, learning skills to solve inconveniences and better personal relationships (Massoud Santiller, 2006).

In summary, the infant’s ADHD “is a frequent clinical entity in which both pharmacotherapy treatment and in a treatment of cognitive-behavioral and systemic psychotherapy (whether individual, matrimonial or family) that help the patient and their environment to developproperly in your daily life, preventing unreasonable symptoms to affect working, family and social life ”(Massoud Santiller, 2006, p. 16)

Also, other treatments have emerged, which seek to improve the functions of the child suffering from the disease from the point of view of other disciplines. One of them is art therapy. Art therapy is one that “provides the opportunity for expression and nonverbal communication, on the one hand through involvement to solve emotional conflicts to promote self-awareness and personal development. It is about using art as a vehicle for psychotherapy, helping the individual to find a more compatible relationship between his inner and exterior world ”(Massoud Santiller, 2006, P. twenty). At the same time, it is known “as a discipline that uses plastic expression as the main tool for therapeutic work, which tends to be a bridge towards the understanding and overcoming the problems using the production and interpretation of plastic images, through a creative processof non -verbal nature ”(Massoud Santiller, 2006, P. twenty).

Art therapy, with professional recognition in Europe and North America, with an approach to health and education since the beginning of the 21st century. It is "a discipline used to increase self – esteem, motor coordination, physical and mental health, as well as the awareness of the environment, favoring interpersonal relationships, applied in hospital media with excellent results" (Gallardo Saavedra, et al., 2010, p. 79). It should be noted that children who present ADHD are usually creative people, where with the use of art therapy this opportunity can be used and use art as therapy to develop objectives that improve their day to day in all areas (Vélez Borja,2015).

This therapy is wide., 2010, p. 79). It has been applied many times to patients who seek to improve mental health, reducing both self-informed symptoms, as clinical manifestations. Uses in adult clinical population show the usefulness of these techniques, for example, “in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, in mothers with mild and moderate postnatal depression, in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and in the effects of treatments and managementof oncological symptoms, among others ”(Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, 2016, P. 278).

As soon as the studies that have analyzed the benefits of art therapy techniques in the school environment, allude Delgado Morán, et al., (2016), which helps multicultural incorporation, encourage imagination and creative thinking increases self – esteem, promotes social skills and prevents emotional and behavioral dilemmas in immigrant children and refugees. At present, the educational space is moved by innovation and by verbal, oral or written communication, as privileged forms of expression, there are more and more students who do not follow the school rhythm due to not being able to pay attention and, each time, also, there are more opinions that manifest the need to establish programs that favor other work systems with students with special educational needs (Delgado Morán, et al., 2016).

That a child who suffers from ADHD is part of an art therapy group as a good means to capture the intense experience they live, because art allows reunion with feelings and thoughts again and again, thus facilitating its assimilation its assimilation. In this way, the productions or pieces made act as a reference point for the patient from the moment of diagnosis and accompanies it during treatment, so that it can perceive its own route (Delgado Morán, et al., 2016).

It also allows "physical and sensory stimulation and allows children with impulsive symptoms to be calmer because the ritualistic and routine of this modality serves as containment" (Delgado Morán, et al., 2016, p.295).

Validation of the hypothesis

HO: The use of art therapy in patients with ADHD improves their quality of life in all areas.

Obtaining the sample

Of the 5 articles studied ‘concentrate: an intervention proposal for Venezuelan children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder’ made by Vasconcelos de Freitas, J., & Pérez Venegas, M. (2016), ‘intervention with art Therapy in primary school students with care deficits’ authorship of Delgado Morán, M. C., Pérez Marfil, M. N., & Cruz Quintana, F. (2016), ‘Art therapy as a treatment of attention deficit disorder in a sample of Mexican schoolchildren’ written by Gallardo Saavedra, G., Padrón Garcia, to., Martínez Waldo, M., Barragán Campos, H., Passaye A, E., García de León, R., & Aguilar Castañeda, and. (2010), ‘Art Workshop Therapy as a special education intervention model with a child with hyperactivity’ prepared by Massoud Santiller, M. (2006) and ‘working art therapy with students with N.AND.E (ADHD) ’by Vélez Borja, and. (2015), the methodology everywhere used in qualitative that presents some characteristics such as: “It is a method used to generate theories and hypotheses, these are small -scale studies that only represent themselves and it is an investigation of a flexible nature,evolutionary and recursive ”(Vélez Borja, 2015, P. 8).

The sample population in each article was different, in “working art therapy with students with N.AND.E (ADHD) ”Only 2 children were chosen. One who is studying the first of the elementary school with 6 years, diagnosed by the same school with language delay, is also diagnosed by the Mental Maternal Health Unit of Granada in February 2015, whose disorders are ADHD (withMedication) and behavior disorder and the other with 8 years in the second of primary school has serious language development disorder (Palatine fissure disorder and leporino lip) and also presents ADHD diagnosed by the health neuropediatrics service, with medicationFrom the third quarter of the 2012-2013 academic year (Vélez Borja, 2015, pp. 9-10).

While, the authors of Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, (2016) to carry out their hypothesis used a sample that was made up of 5 men with the diagnosis of ADHD, four of them of an inattentive type and one combined, with ages understoodBetween 7 years and 8 years, two of them studying 2nd. Grade and three children in 3rd. grade of basic education, where two are in the same classroom. Also, 4 of the children had never received psychological help and only 1 had received the necessary help before being medicated. However, Delgado Morán, et al, (2016), obtained their sample based on teachers who recommended the children to the 2 -school program, but then they were subjected to an EDAH questionnaire and based on the qualification obtained they were chosenFor the study, there are 32 participants: 15 girls and 17 boys (Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, 2016, P. 280)

The study of the sample prepared by Gallardo Saavedra, et al., (2010), were 20 participants who presented school problems. The DSM IV and Conners test and the professors were applied to the parents, this being the only study that considered this type of strategy for the methodology. The author Massaud Santiller, (2006), leaves the conventional and obtains her sample approaching a school specialized in offering educational services to children and young people with mental deficiency. That’s where "D" knows a 9 -year -old boy who is repeating the 2nd. Basic for the second time, it is an epileptic treated with medications.

"D" was submitted 34 sessions that last 8 months divided into 3 phases: initial, intermediate and final (Massoud Santiller, 2006, P. 43). The children selected by Gallardo Saavedra, et al., (2010) of 20 that were in the selection stage at the end only 13, 7 were excluded by not completing the process correctly. This study was carried out in 8 workshops, for a total of 40 hours. Researchers Delgado Morán, et al, (2016), chose to form four groups, two in each school, taking into account the course to which they belonged. So the children who were between 2nd. and 4th. Primary formed a group and, 5th children. and 6th. Primary formed the other group. Where, 10 sessions were held with each of the intervention subgroups, 40 sessions in total. The duration of each session was 55 minutes.

On the other hand, from Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, (2016), they raised 12 sessions but only practiced 11, 2 sessions per weeks. Vélez Borja, (2015), for his sample of 2 participants I conducted 3 sessions.

Methods and materials

The authors of each of the investigations made use of different instruments, but in the end looking for validity or denied the hypothesis raised.

Once the pilot version of the concentrate program was designed, it was delivered to 5 expert judges in the area, of which only four of them responded, two specialists in school and child intervention programs and two therapists arts. What resulted as a booklet as an instrument of cognitive stimulation that is part of the program, both for parents and children with ADHD. The program contained “artistic activities, also exercises of a cognitive nature with special emphasis on both visual and auditory processes, to carry out its analysis, dichotomous criteria were established, namely the monitoring of instructions and the colored both in the arterapeutic sessionAs at home ”(from Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, 2016, P. 303).

As for "D" the instruments and methods were divided by the 3 phases raised. In the first phase the techniques they used were activities that sought to publicize its behaviors in everyday school, guidelines for the analysis of graphic and plastic behavior and familiarize themselves with plastic materials. The materials were: colored pencils, blocks, tempera, ice cream sticks, brushes, etc. The second phase or intermediate phase explores to restore a link with "D", identify areas of conflict, improvement of self – esteem and control, strengthen your personal esteem and finally adjust expectations and realistic perception of yourself. Plastic works were developed with the same materials of the initial phase. The closing stage (third stage), the capacity to expression, enhanced attitudes of participation, tolerance, respect and problem solving was reinforced. As in the other phases the same materials were used (Massoud Santiller, 2006, pp. 39-43).

The search for response from the authors Gallardo Saavedra, et al., (2010) was deeper than the other investigations. It started with the Weschler test and full exam by the neuropediatrician, who confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD. Then, they were performed magnetic resonance, while performing tasks formed in three paradigms: images, auditory, and Stroop test: in the first eight lithographs of classic painters were presented;Auditory Exhibition of four versions of classical music presented both stimuli randomly with the objectives of mapping the prefrontal and auditory areas, and in sroop color of rhombus color and reading words of the names of color painted color different than they presented,These stimuli were demonstrated in the form of blocks with a duration of 15 segs. alternated with 4 and 12 segs. obtaining 2,400 images per session, to avoid the movement of the head;The children were placed with pads around it. The images were analyzed with the brain wave software AW1 version.5 (GE Electric, Milwaukee, Wi). At the end of the arts workshops, he subjected him to a reevaluation with the Weschler test (Gallardo Saavedra, et al., 2010, pp. 79-80).

To the "A" and "B" subjects analyzed by Vélez Borja, (2015), the methods used in the investigation were the following: Observation and analysis of drawings, sculptures and music. With 3 selected activities: we play and feel, what is music? and modeling my emotions.

Of the 32 children chosen by Delgado Morán, et. AL, (2016), measuring instruments were applied as:

Evaluation of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, EDAH: consists of 20 items with answers ranging from 0 to 3, according to the frequency with which the teacher will observe the behavior. The scores determine the existence of two levels of risk of suffering the disorder (moderate risk and high risk) and another level without risk.

Self-assessment questionnaire Axiety/Trait for Children, Staic: This instrument analyzes separately the ‘anxiety-state’ (A-E), which evaluates transient anxiety states and ‘anxiety-rasgo’ (A-R), which reports on relatively stable differencesAxiety propensity. The reliability and validity of this instrument have been demonstrated in previous works.

Garley self-Concept Questionnaire, CAG: The test consists of 48 statements related to 6 dimensions of self-concept: physical, social, family, intellectual, personal, personal and sensation of control.

"BIG Five" Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, BFQ-NA: "The purpose of this test is to evaluate the personality of children and adolescents according to the theory of the five great personality factors: emotional instability (IE),Extraversion (EX), Opening (AP), Amability (AM) and Consciousness (CO). Includes a total of 65 elements, with self-informed format, which are valued by a scale of five alternatives.

Difference perception test, faces: Evaluate the aptitude to perceive, quickly and correctly, similarities and stimulating patterns partially ordered. It consists of 60 graphic elements, each composed of three response possibilities of which only one is correct.

Creative Intelligence, creates: The purpose of this test is the appreciation of creative intelligence through a cognitive evaluation of individual creativity, according to the indicator of generation of issues, in the theoretical context of search and problem solving. (Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, 2016, pp. 280-281).

Where the selected materials were: colored pencils and markers, different kinds of paints, brushes, scissors, cardboard, different kinds of paper, tail, plasticine, magazines and cardboard. With the proposals: "Presentation", "Choose a place", "Free Proposal", "Group Work", "Make a costume or mask", "Represents a dream", "represents an illusion or desire", "A gift"," My school "," Farewell "(Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, 2016, P. 282).

Results

After making each of the methods proposed by each author to validate the hypothesis, it was demonstrated with results if it is accepted or rejected. The participants who attended the “Create” sessions of the authors of Vasconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, (2016), showed that all participants used the suggested plastic modality for each session, 3 subjects showed expansivity in the first two phases of the treatment, 4 subjects generated a figurative production, which is expected according to their evolutionary level, however, in terms of the quality of the line the group’s tendency (3 of 5 subjects) was a uncoordinate and neglected line, while whilethat the motor discharge tended to the absence in three of the subjects during the program and in two of them only in the final phase. It was observed regarding the monitoring of instructions that:

The five participants managed to fulfill them at all times, while in the colored they presented greater variability, that is, a pattern was not observed in the execution of the group, specifically, two subjects presented during the treatment a neglected and uncoordinated coloring, however, the colorfulcareful and coordinated was present for a subject only in the last phase, in another subject only in the first two phases, and the last subject achieved it at all times. (Basqueconcelos de Freitas & Pérez Venegas, 2016, pp. 303-304).

"D" Author’s Study Participant Massoud Santiller, (2006) with her article "Art Workshop therapy as a special education intervention model with a child with hyperactivity" showed a surprising change after the sessions divided into 3 phases. First, it was possible to give an exact diagnosis of the disorder he suffers, the past was border intelligence so it was moved to an educational center for children with academic needs, the then diagnosis confirms ADHD and that can be reimbuled to the Normal School. Second, his teachers complained that “d” was hyperactive, he did not attend to classes, aggressive, zero tolerances and problematic, the fact of channeling all those attitudes in each of the sessions and with the use of art therapy, today his teachersThey claim that their achievements are admirable and in the arts class their skills are notable before the other partners. Third, despite the fact that "D" was in the second of primary school for the second time, I just knew how, p. 49).

Of the final sample population of 13 children selected by the analysis made by Gallardo Saavedra, et al., (2010), presented cognitive changes after art therapy, were evaluated with the application of the Wisc IV to the children, before and after the intervention, showed a significant difference in 11 of 14 tasks performed, two of the tasks of the memory area of memory ofwork were not significant (digits and arithmetic). Magnetic resonance during the auditory paradigm, showed “activation of four Brodman areas during the test and nine in the retest, the areas that increased their number of cases were 41 and 22, related to hearing, also activated areas related toplanning and memory in 5 subjects ”(Gallardo Saavedra, et al., 2010, p. 80). During the image paradigm, the activation in the initial evaluation was 8 areas of Brodman, and 12 in the retest, the number of cases of these in the second evaluation was increasing and five areas, related to planning, attention, memory, memory and information information,Table 6 Product of artistic activities carried out in sessions. The active Stroop paradigm 11 Brodman areas in the first evaluation and only eight in the second of which two are related to visomotor coordination and color information and two in the planning and organization of movement, and sensory integration and memory, not being activatedIn the second evaluation, the prefrontal, parietal and primary motor visual back (Gallardo Saavedra, et al., 2010, p. 81).

The subjects "A" and "B", managed to make Vélez Borja, (2015), with their research entitled working art therapy with students with N.AND.E (ADHD), affirm "I have concluded that art therapy can help those students suffering from ADHD" (P.26) Especially with the results of subject “A”. "A" change for positive and progressively and have helped the child relax and work better after sessions. The distractions in both classrooms have been ceased, as well as speaking in class, there has also been a great change in the speed of the task, since it has been improving from a slowness and therefore did not end the task in the estimated time tothat do it quickly enough to finish it in your time. On the other hand, "B" I do not present results after art therapy, coming to think that it can be for several reasons: "The first is for lack of interest and motivation on the part of the student that causes the activities not to do so in a wayAdequate, the second the continuous high state of nervousness that the student presents what does not concentrate and the third and last because the activities are not the most appropriate for him, causing him a worse state for after the sessions ”(VélezBorja, 2015, pp. 26-27).

Finally, the investigation by Delgado Morán, Pérez Ivil, & Cruz Quintana, (2016), support that developed intervention program has positively influenced the improvement of variables that are basic for learning and is beneficial for its application in application inschool contexts based on the results collected. If the effects of the intervention on each of the variables studied are analyzed, statistically significant differences have been found between the intervention group and the control group (the 2 groups in which they divided the sample), in variables that affect school performance, such as: attention, hyperactivity or difficulties in behavior.

Conclusions

After preparing an analysis to each of the studies, it is claimed that the hypothesis is positive, art therapy is a benefit tool for children suffering from ADHD. It is a tool that serves to increase the attention, hyperactivity and important elements of learning and life that characterize this disorder. That is why it is necessary that artistic activities are presented in the lives of these children as an extracurricular activity. Because in turn, artotherapy improves creativity, it was also expected a significant change in students, since the therapy model used, an artistic content therapy is precisely. In this case, the scores are approaching the significance and an important tendency that is not reflected in the control group is observed. Therefore, it can be said that, possibly, “after an art therapy treatment with a greater number of sessions, significant results could be obtained in this variable, since the statistical trend indicates it” (Delgado Morán, Pérez Ivory, & Cruz Quintana, 2016, P. 287)

Based, to the results collected by each of the articles, the study sessions contributed to the development of the CA creative and self-expression capacities which resulted in an establishment of more appropriate social ties (progressively) as Massoud Santiller refers, (2006). As emotional states and social relationships, they emphasize that "children with hyperactivity and attention deficit usually develop isolated and solitary game behavior" (Massoud Santiller, 2006, p. 46). Where art therapy improved association capabilities with other children. To culminate, art therapy has revealed itself as an effective and valuable alternative for the medication of certain difficulties related to the attention and behavior processes, of such consideration for learning within the school context. Therefore, Delgado Morán, Pérez Marfil, & Cruz Quintana, (2016)Ivory, & Cruz Quintana, 2016).

References

• Of Basque Concelos de Freitas, J., & Pérez Venegas, M. (2016). ) Concentrate: an intervention proposal for Venezuelan children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Art Therapy. Art Therapy and Education Papers for Social Inclusion, 11, 293-307
• Delgado Morán, M. C., Pérez Marfil, M. N., & Cruz Quintana, F. (2016). Intervention with Primary Students with Attention Deficits. Art Therapy. Art Therapy and Education Papers for Social Inclusion, 11, 277-291.
• Gallardo Saavedra, G., Padrón Garcia, to., Martínez Waldo, M., Barragán Campos, H., Passaye A, E., García de León, R., & Aguilar Castañeda, and. (2010). The art therapy as a treatment of attention deficit disorder in a sample of Mexican schoolchildren. Arch Neurocien, 15, 77-83.
• Massoud Santiller, M. (2006). Art Workshop therapy as a special education model with a child with hyperactivity. University of Chile, 1-114.
• Vélez Borja, and. (2015). Working art therapy with students with N.AND.E (ADHD). University of Granada, 1-29.