Clay for a child with selective mutism
· Clay touches you back- haptic sensation (Elbrecht and Antcliff, 2015)
· Cold at first warms to touch
· May become drier, or more viscous depending on the type of clay
· Some clays have aromas, good, bad, can add oils, memories of playdoh
· Easy to move, to more restrictive clays
· Homemade clays don’t dry well, but the everydayness of the materials may be transformative, adding colors makes colors bleed onto hands
· Making a functional object may build confidence
· Process engages haptic sense, and sense of smell (this could be accentuated)
· Marks on clay, made easily from hand and tool- easy to change- satisfying, also validating touch
· Forgiving material
· Keeping hands busy may make talking easier
“The sensory nature and plastic texture of clay help create positive psychophysiological effects, such as raising body awareness, creating a mindful state for the artist, and enhancing positive affective experience” (Nan, 2020, p. 56). The awareness of the body in space combines with a rich sensory and kinesthetic experience to engage and support an anxious child (Nan, 2020). As the sensory activates the affective responses, the child with selective mutism finds clay a safe place to feel their overwhelming emotions. They are able to use the structure of the clay to tell stories and communicate nonverbally. Through this nonverbal communication, the therapist and child may build rapport.
If the child feels safe enough, themes of anxiety will become present in the clay artwork and clay play. From the kinesthetic and sensory stages, the work will take the child into the affective and perceptual or cognitive and symbolic areas. Clay provides opportunities for doing and redoing, which may be supportive for a child with selective mutism, to practice before committing to a final product. This wish for practice time can be discussed. The wet clay also may be a good metaphor for how quickly dynamics may change in verbal conversations, and how other memories of you may be different than self-perception. Specific prompts such as, how do you see yourself? how do you think others see you? how do you want to be seen? can reality test self-image. A small fired clay object may become a transitional object that can be taken to school.
References
Nan, J. K. M. (2020). From clay to ceramic: An alchemical process of self-transformation. In L. Leone (Ed.), Craft in Art Therapy (pp. 55-71). Routledge.