The contribution of art therapy to the social, emotional, and academic adjustment of children with learning disabilities

The study conducted in Israel, investigates the contribution of art therapy to the adjustment of children with learning disability and assesses interventions and their association with outcomes. Art therapy as an adjunct to academic assistance (i.e., experimental group) was compared to academic assistance only (control group) in one counseling center, which treated 93 children with learning disability (42 in the experimental and 51 in the control group). Results indicated more favorable outcomes in adjustment under art therapy conditions and similar progress in academic achievement under either condition. Although children in the control group scored higher on the process variables (bonding and impression of therapy), bonding was associated with outcomes only in the therapy condition. A session-by-session evaluation revealed that the two interventions were very different: the academic intervention focused on improved learning experiences, whereas the art therapy intervention focused on emotional exploration and awareness-insight development.