Creative Response Activities for Children on the Spectrum: A Therapeutic and Educational Memoir

Creative Response Activities for Children on the Spectrum is a clear, comprehensive and intuitive guide that offers a wide selection of hands-on interventions to be used in any therapeutic or educational setting with children who are ‘on the spectrum’.

From drawing and writing poetry to skiing and skateboarding, this book describes these and many other creative activities geared towards children with autistic features, attention deficits, hyperactivity, paediatric bipolar disorder and other related conditions.

This new resource provides an innovative blend of theory and illustrative case examples designed to help therapists and educators assess children’s needs, formulate therapeutic and aesthetic interventions, and analyse creative outcomes.

Table of Contents

I. The Creative Response: Why Creative Response Activities

1. Beginnings
2. First Clients and Creative Responses
3. Mapping the Spectrum
4. Socialization
5. The Creative Response Activity
6. Stimulus-Based Interventions

II. Towards a Theory of the Psyche

7. The Psyche and Paradigms
8. Functional Methodologies
9. Media and Technology

III. The Artists

10. On the Autistic Continuum
11. Hyperactive Attentional Spectrum
12. Creative Action Responses
13. Mood Involvements
14. Delusions and the ‘Other World’
15. The Written Word
16. Shadow Syndromes and Religiosity
17. Domestic Violence
18. War and Trauma
19. Hope and Advocacy
20. Resonance References

"Master child therapist David Henley’s new book is both a professional and personal memoir—one of rigor, insight, and rare poignancy. I challenge any therapist, artist, teacher, parent, or person interested in human possibility to read just the introduction to this exceptional volume without feeling that thrill of anticipation at realizing one’s understanding—here, of the power of the creative act—is about to change."
- Ellen Dissanayake, author of What Is Art For?, Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why, and Art and Intimacy: How the Arts Began

"David Henley has written a thoughtful, informative book on his work with children who challenge even the most sophisticated art therapist. The author’s frank descriptions of his own experiences as patient, artist, teacher, and therapist are deeply moving, while his beautifully written case studies make for truly engrossing reading. A major contribution to the art therapy literature, this book should enable countless clinicians to help children on the spectrum to find their unique creative voices."
- Judith A. Rubin, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM, author of Child Art Therapy and The Art of Art Therapy; editor of Approaches to Art Therapy

"David Henley’s lucid style caters both to a specialist and a lay audience, and sustains his account of a lengthy career spent caring for youngsters deemed to reside on the autistic spectrum. A thoughtful therapist who seeks novel ways of developing the creativity of his often difficult young clients, Dr. Henley draws on his clinical notes while adding his spirited personal memories. A gift for illuminating parallels enlivens this report of a fascinating adventure of discovery."
- Roger Cardinal, MA, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Literary and Visual Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, England