Art Therapy Interventions for Individuals with Down Syndrome

Abstract

This study was an integrative literature review exploring the research published on art therapy interventions with individuals with Down syndrome. In order to expand the collected resources, secondary sources and expanded search terms. such as developmental disabilities and intellectual disability, were used for gathering more data to support this study. Three important outcomes were categorized: Intellectual and communicative difficulties are present; 2) Developmental and behavioral art therapy approaches and haptic art materials are particularly suitable for working with developmentally impaired people; 3) Facilitating personal expression, improving social skills, enhancing self-esteem, and fostering cognitive development are four therapeutic goals for this population. Based on these outcomes and the analyses of the collected data, an art therapy treatment plan for people diagnosed with Down syndrome was generated. The limitations and recommendations were also discussed.