The purpose of this case study is to investigate the effects of the group art therapy using physical activities to increase the emotional intelligence and, in effect decrease the behavioral disorders of children with ADHD.
The four subjects of this c...
The purpose of this case study is to investigate the effects of the group art therapy using physical activities to increase the emotional intelligence and, in effect decrease the behavioral disorders of children with ADHD.
The four subjects of this case study were selected from children who were diagnosed with ADHD and wanted to receive art therapy at M center in A city. They showed their participation spontaneously. The research was conducted from August 24th to October 28th in 2010. These were 18 sessions except the pre and post sessions that were presented twice a week, and each session was 60 minutes.
The art therapy program, using physical activities in this particular case study, was created with physical activities and art activities with precedent studies related with emotion. The order and process of the activities were simplified by considering children's overaction, impulsion, and carelessness which are characteristics of children with ADHD. The physical activities included bodily expressions, plays, games. etc. The art activities were carefully planned for children to express their feelings and thoughts as a result of the physical activities by using many art materials and methods.
To present how this program influenced the emotional intelligence and behavioral disorders of ADHD children, a graph of the emotional intelligence test results and the comparative analysis results of the pre and post K-ADHDDS scores is included. Based on the video recording for each session, the sub-filed observation of the emotional intelligence by subjects was recorded in activities. Also, the graph of the frequency changes of the behavioral disorders during activities was presented.
The simplified results of this study are as follows:
First, the post-emotional intelligence test scores were higher than the pre-emotional intelligence test scores. Also, as the sessions passed, children were observed to have adjusted and expressed emotion for others and themselves, and also had positive relationships with others. This means that the group art therapy using physical activities acted positively for the emotional intelligence of children with ADHD.
Second, in the change of the behavioral disorders, the post K-ADHDDS test score decreased compared to the pre K-ADHDDS test score, and in subjects' activities, the problematic behavior frequencies decreased. These results show that the group art therapy using physical activities affected in relation to the children's past problematic behavior positively.
In conclusion, the group art therapy using physical activities brought great changes on the improvement of ADHD children's emotional intelligence and the decrease of problematic behaviors. The subjects had low emotional intelligence and behavioral disorders, and acted constantly distracted, got negative feedback from others experiences frustration, and fail ed to interact with others because of the in appropriate cognition of emotion about others and themselves even though they tried to interact positively. However, through this case study, children with ADHD had a chance to relate to themselves and others through the physical and art activities, and they were able to have positive relationships with others. Also, because of the rules and orders of the group, it offered children chances to express their feelings constructively from senses. Therefore, the group art therapy using physical activities affected positively reinforced the balance with combination of using five senses physically, mentally and emotionally with children with ADHD who had low emotional intelligence and many other behavioral disorders.