The scope of occupational therapy covers all activities in individuals' daily lives. Experts state that occupational therapists can resort to art therapy when needed, thereby aiming to increase individuals' participation in activities, enhance the diversity in their lives, improve health, and reduce the impact of negative experiences. Lecturer İsa Kör emphasized that art therapy reduces the risk of developing dementia in elderly individuals, also pointing out the positive effects of tools like puppets and paints.
Occupational therapy aims to increase awareness in life
Under the leadership of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), October 27th is celebrated as World Occupational Therapy Day every year.
Lecturer İsa Kör from the Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, spoke about the harmonious relationship between art therapy and occupational therapy and the benefits they provide.
When activities decrease, an individual's roles disappear
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that the working areas of occupational therapy cover all activities in individuals' daily lives, saying, “We can define occupational therapy as an individual's active participation in self-care, work, leisure, and play. Additionally, an activity can be defined as everything people engage in, such as taking care of themselves, enjoying life, and contributing to social and economic environments. Individuals have a role in life. Roles can vary at every age and with every change in environment. With the deterioration of health, reductions in an individual's participation in activities can be observed. A decrease in activity participation can lead to the loss of an individual's roles in life. The loss of roles can lead the person to changes in their life expectations, while destructions related to the worsening of health due to losses in activity can be seen in the person. The individual can face situations such as feeling worthless in life, living dependent on someone, being unable to perform daily activities, and being bedridden.”
The initial target is individuals with psychological disorders…
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that occupational therapists can resort to art therapy to increase participation in activities, enhance the diversity in a person's life, create routines, promote health improvement, and ensure well-being, to reduce the impact of negative experiences in individuals, and continued:
“We can base art therapy on the idea that it is a non-verbal way of expressing one's feelings and thoughts, and that it is therapeutic and life-enriching in the artistic creation process. The initial target of art therapy is individuals with psychological disorders. Subsequently, the population for this therapy expanded to individuals experiencing difficulties in daily life such as children, adolescents, the elderly, individuals with learning and adaptation difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, a history of abuse, or those who have experienced loss or natural disasters. Art therapy supports individuals struggling with stress or self-awareness and those under pressure leading to personal difficulties. Today, art therapy can be considered not only as a therapeutic approach but also as a developmental practice where individuals or groups discover their potentials and solve some social problems. At this point, the collaborative work of art therapy and occupational therapy in supporting individuals with special needs stands out.”
Puppets are an important tool in therapy
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that puppets are one of the tools used in art therapy, saying, “Puppets are a metaphorical expression in art therapy. Interacting with children who have difficulty using verbal language during occupational therapy sessions through drawing, clay modeling, and easy crafting is a fun option not only for the therapist but also for the child. Furthermore, using a puppet instead of speaking directly can help the child express less hostile and threatening thoughts than through speech.”
Paints can create a positive effect
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that materials such as pencils, crayons, collage materials, glitter, brushes, clay, and watercolors, oil paints, and pastels can be used in art activities, saying, “Depending on the use of materials, the harmony attempted to be created internally can be expressed as the individual's outward manifestation. There are also studies on the positive effect of paints on long-term memory after traumatic events. Especially fluid paints were observed to encourage relaxation and meditative experiences in individuals. It was determined that paints and clay used when working with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have significant effects on developing the child's executive functions such as self-regulation, self-control, and planning. An occupational therapist incorporating art activities can enable the individual to use time efficiently, meaningfully, and valuably.”
They primarily work in the field of pediatrics
Occupational therapist İsa Kör emphasized that when considering art therapy and occupational therapy together, it's important not to forget that they focus on different points, and continued:
“An occupational therapist can pre-determine points that an individual might avoid, not want to touch, put in their mouth, or that could pose a danger during an art activity. If an individual has a skill deficit in a certain area, the therapist can choose to apply different artistic activities accordingly. Occupational therapists in our country primarily work in the field of pediatrics. Here, disadvantaged groups such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning difficulties, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy, observed in children recently, are frequently encountered. Since an occupational therapist approaches each individual according to their interests and personal characteristics, different applications can be used for two different individuals with learning difficulties in their artistic work. For this reason, occupational therapists may not find it appropriate to use a specific art material in a disadvantaged group. In addition to evaluating each group individually, they adopt a personalized approach targeting an individual-specific approach. However, it is essential not to overlook the importance of interaction in social relationships in the environment where artistic work is performed. In group activities, individuals who engage in common interaction through artistic works can show improvements in their social skills.”
They aim to increase activity participation
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that one of the main goals of occupational therapists using artistic activities in individuals with psychiatric disorders is to increase activity participation in addition to making the person feel good, saying, “In psychiatric disorders, reductions in daily routines can be observed. Individuals can encounter problems in areas such as planning, organization, initiating, continuing, and completing activities. Here, the aim is to increase the variety of daily life activities. For example, painting, clay, dance, and music all provide support to different points within themselves. The occupational therapist can support interaction in their work by incorporating artistic activities into activities where the individual is inclined.”
Reduces the risk of dementia
Occupational therapist İsa Kör stated that art therapy may be needed in geriatric individuals to strengthen cognitive skills such as memory and attention and to increase physical mobility, saying, “Art requires the use of various skills such as abstract thinking, judgment, and memory. The impact of art is noteworthy in the observed lower risk of developing dementia in elderly individuals. Using cognition through art can translate into independent functions in the elderly population benefiting from most rehabilitation services.”
Occupational therapists focus on the individual's well-being
Occupational therapist İsa Kör said, ‘While occupational therapists can use art as a tool, they do not solely proceed by incorporating art therapy in their sessions,’ and concluded:
“Music, painting, clay, dance activities may be part of their sessions, but they do not focus on individuals' development in these mentioned areas or their way of expressing themselves through artistic works. The occupational therapist's goal is to diversify, develop, and change a person's daily life activities. While doing this, they focus on the individual's well-being. By determining activities according to the person's lost abilities, they support the individual's life by aiming to develop, restore, and prevent the loss of their skills.”