Media: Free Choice
Population: Children
Disorder: ODD
Reflection:
To begin my free choice art engagement, I flipped through an art magazine in search of an image that stood out to me. I knew that I was going to utilize collage materials, as I was working the 3rd shift at work and it was the most accessible. I found a page with a texture, pattern, and colors that I found intriguing and split it into 4 pieces of paper. From this point, I decided that I was going to either make a mini-zine or a collage series. I continued looking through magazines until I found imagery and words that “felt right” to utilize.
I did not have a choice with what population I chose for this media, as I only had children left to choose from for my population. If I had planned ahead, I probably would not place free choice and children together. However, I am happy that this population and media combination occurred because it pushed me to come up with an appropriate method of application.
I worked with children in a partial hospitalization program last year. Most of the children in the program were labeled with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and all had histories of trauma and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. I believe that providing children with an ODD diagnosis with the opportunity for free choice could have positive results. This process would allow a child to choose what materials they would like to work within an environment that offers safety and containment. I would present the child with two or three options in regards to media choice and allow them to explore the creative process.
References
Leone, L. (Ed.). (2020). Craft in Art Therapy: Diverse Approaches to the Transformative Power of Craft Materials and Methods. Routledge.