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Mon, 12/15/2025 - 15:52
Edited Text
Art Therapy-Based
Curriculum for
Autistic Adolescents
Supporting life skills through creative expression and engagement
Elizabeth Farnesi-Mitchell
PennWest University, 2025
Purpose statement
The purpose of this research is to develop an art therapy-based
curriculum to support life skill development for autistic
adolescents.
Justification
Increased rates of Autism
Disparities in ASD diagnoses and services
Gaps in supporting life skill development for
autistic adolescents within educational settings.
Adolescence is a time of significant physical and
mental growth.
Need to prevent autistic adolescents from feeling
pressured to conform to neurotypical expectations.
Need to prioritize the respect and celebration of
neurodivergent voices
Terms
Identity-First Language
Differentiated Instruction
Metaphorical Approaches
Literature Review
Theoretical Framework
A combination of principles from:
Social Emotional Learning
Teaching, modeling, and practicing social and emotional competencies can lead to positive
student outcomes, which are crucial for success in both school and life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Combining CBT with other theories will enhance addressing emotional and cognitive aspects of
autism with what works well and creates a more comprehensive curriculum that can be flexible
and tailored to individual needs.
Strengths-based Positive Psychology
Supported environments that utilize strengths-based approaches to intervention and
encouragement can potentially lead to positive outcomes for autistic adolescents, offering a
social model solution.
Literature Review
Understanding Core Characteristics of
Autism
Challenges Faced by Autistic Individuals
Challenges in the Educational Setting
Strengths for Autistic Individuals
Neurodivergence
Adolescents
Autism Traits Often Targeted in Therapy
Literature
Review
Traditional Treatments
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Various other Interventions
The primary objective of autism research, whether
intentional or not, is to make autistic individuals conform to
neurotypical standards
Art Therapy for Autistic Individuals
Metaphorical Approaches
Art Education and Art Therapy Strategies
Target Audience
Methodology
Seeks to foster essential life skills,
promote self-determination, and
increase self-esteem in autistic
adolescents.
Interventions focus on addressing
the needs of autistic adolescents
and providing support as they
acquire and master new skills.
Curricular Structure:
Driven by three key theoretical approaches
Neurodiversity-affirming approaches
incorporates insights from art therapists and mental
health professionals
Curricular Outline:
Six tailored art therapy intervention topics
40-minute sessions
Structured format
Opening check-ins
Interventions and goals
Guided discussions and check-outs or
assessments
Flexible
Curriculum
Layout
Emotional Check-in
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Identify and express feelings
Objective:
Enhance self-awareness, improve emotional regulation,
and foster self-acceptance.
Quick Response:
Feelings Check-In for
Better Communication
Feelings Check-In
Mark on the line below what
you are feeling right now...
Colors and Lines
I feel this way because ...
I am stressed and didn’t sleep well.
Something that might help me today is...
Materials & Media
RECOMMENDED:
Drawing paper-4x4
Colored Pencils
Markers
Small Sketchbook (this
can be optional)
OPTIONAL:
Tempera paint sticks
Crayons
Watercolors
Emotion check in-sheet
(Supplemental 1)
post-its
Chart paper
Taking breaks once in a while.
Post-it note check-in
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group
members, to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and
cooperation with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Opening Intervention
Building Rapport/Group Hands
Liebmann, M. (2015). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises. Routledge.
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group members,
to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and cooperation
with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Intervention
Visual Representation College
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Identifying Goals
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group members,
to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and cooperation
with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Intervention
Goal Forming
Smart Goals
Goal Tracking
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Identifying Strengths
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Your Power Card
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Positive Affirmations
Topic 3
Understanding Emotions
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance emotional literacy through the use of emotion chart, to recognize and
articulate emotions.
Objectives:
Identify and understand emotions to communicate them to others.
Intervention
Emotion Chart
Topic 3
Understanding Emotions
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance emotional literacy to recognize and articulate emotions.
Objectives:
Identify and understand emotions to communicate them to others.
Intervention
Emotion Landscape
Guzman, L. (2020). Essential Art Therapy Exercises. Callisto Publishing.
Topic 4
Anxiety Mediator
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Develop healthy coping strategies
Reduce anxiety symptoms and manage worry
Objectives:
Identify sensory triggers and communicate them to others.
Identify and utilize at least 3 healthy coping mechanisms that are effective
Intervention
What Helps
Topic 5
Future Self
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and foster a positive mindset.
Objectives:
Identify aspirations, develop actionable steps toward achieving them, and create a
clearer vision of desired future.
Foster positive emotions and reduce anxiety by visualizing success.
Intervention
Future Outlook: Manual
Topic 6
Personal Toolkit
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Build resilience through focusing on strengths and coping strategies
Objectives:
Utilize previous skills learned and apply them to future situations.
Intervention
Personal Toolkit
Limitations &
Future Research
Made for specific population
Future could be adapting to meet the needs of
others. Adapted for general ed population
Could be adapted for younger or older population
Ideally written for a group
better in group or individual
Future-What is a good number of clients?
Resource guide for parents to support this curriculum
Could be adapted for shorter lengths of time
Theoretical
has not been put into practice
Areas for Future Exploration
Important to continue to reinforce this to help this
become a second nature/lean into it
Making sure with in school or home this is also
reinforced with other educators and parents.
If in schoolIEP : can be brought into annual meeting in order
to help client advocate
Second part of curriculum
Personal metaphor
Social connections by building
strengths and interests
Building Community Awareness
on
existing
Final Thoughts
21 years of working with adolescents in art
education has given me the privilege of seeing where
gaps are within my geographical area.
Over the years I have observed the changes in
struggles with adolescents.
Mental health issues on the rise
IEP’s on the rise
This is only the beginning of what could have great
potential.
This curriculum is something that will change and
adapt much like the adolescent population.
why flexibility is essential
needs to meet the needs of each individual
References
Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. (2016). What is autism?. Association for Autism
and Neurodiversity. https://aane.org /autism-info-faqs/autism-basics/what-is-autism/
ASAN. (2025). About autism. Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
https://autisticadvocacy.org /about-asan/about-autism/
CDC. (2024). Treatment and intervention for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/treatment/index.html
Chapman, R., & Botha, M. (2022). Neurodivergence‐informed therapy. Developmental
Medicine & Child Neurology, 65(3), 310–317. https://doi.org /10.1111/dmcn.15384
Guzman, L. (2020). Essential Art Therapy Exercises. Callisto Publishing.
Hillier, A., Johnson, H., Rosenbaum, B., Paterson, W., Veneziano, J., & Wood, A. (2025). Stress,
anxiety, and steampunk art in autistic adolescents and young adults. The Arts in
Psychotherapy, 94, 102314. https://doi.org /10.1016/j.aip.2025.102314
Liebmann, M. (2015). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises.
Routledge.
Quirk, F. (2024, September 26). Becoming neurodiversity affirming: Listening to autistic
people to inform our approaches with neurodivergent students in schools. Opening Doors to
Safer and More Inclusive Schools - Opening Doors to Safer and More Inclusive Schools.
https://endseclusion.org /2024/09/16/becoming-neurodiversity-affirming-listening-to-autisticpeople-to-inform-our-approaches-with-neurodivergent-students-in-schools/
Stallings, J. W. (2021). Special interest connection framework: Integrating pop culture into art
therapy with autistic individuals. Art Therapy, 39(3), 121–127.
https://doi.org /10.1080/07421656.2021.2013718
Vogel, S. W., Mullins, K. L., & Kumar, S. (2024). Art therapy for children and adolescents with
autism: A systematic review. International Journal of Art Therapy, 30(2), 113–122.
https://doi.org /10.1080/17454832.2024.2343373
Questions
Curriculum for
Autistic Adolescents
Supporting life skills through creative expression and engagement
Elizabeth Farnesi-Mitchell
PennWest University, 2025
Purpose statement
The purpose of this research is to develop an art therapy-based
curriculum to support life skill development for autistic
adolescents.
Justification
Increased rates of Autism
Disparities in ASD diagnoses and services
Gaps in supporting life skill development for
autistic adolescents within educational settings.
Adolescence is a time of significant physical and
mental growth.
Need to prevent autistic adolescents from feeling
pressured to conform to neurotypical expectations.
Need to prioritize the respect and celebration of
neurodivergent voices
Terms
Identity-First Language
Differentiated Instruction
Metaphorical Approaches
Literature Review
Theoretical Framework
A combination of principles from:
Social Emotional Learning
Teaching, modeling, and practicing social and emotional competencies can lead to positive
student outcomes, which are crucial for success in both school and life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Combining CBT with other theories will enhance addressing emotional and cognitive aspects of
autism with what works well and creates a more comprehensive curriculum that can be flexible
and tailored to individual needs.
Strengths-based Positive Psychology
Supported environments that utilize strengths-based approaches to intervention and
encouragement can potentially lead to positive outcomes for autistic adolescents, offering a
social model solution.
Literature Review
Understanding Core Characteristics of
Autism
Challenges Faced by Autistic Individuals
Challenges in the Educational Setting
Strengths for Autistic Individuals
Neurodivergence
Adolescents
Autism Traits Often Targeted in Therapy
Literature
Review
Traditional Treatments
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Various other Interventions
The primary objective of autism research, whether
intentional or not, is to make autistic individuals conform to
neurotypical standards
Art Therapy for Autistic Individuals
Metaphorical Approaches
Art Education and Art Therapy Strategies
Target Audience
Methodology
Seeks to foster essential life skills,
promote self-determination, and
increase self-esteem in autistic
adolescents.
Interventions focus on addressing
the needs of autistic adolescents
and providing support as they
acquire and master new skills.
Curricular Structure:
Driven by three key theoretical approaches
Neurodiversity-affirming approaches
incorporates insights from art therapists and mental
health professionals
Curricular Outline:
Six tailored art therapy intervention topics
40-minute sessions
Structured format
Opening check-ins
Interventions and goals
Guided discussions and check-outs or
assessments
Flexible
Curriculum
Layout
Emotional Check-in
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Identify and express feelings
Objective:
Enhance self-awareness, improve emotional regulation,
and foster self-acceptance.
Quick Response:
Feelings Check-In for
Better Communication
Feelings Check-In
Mark on the line below what
you are feeling right now...
Colors and Lines
I feel this way because ...
I am stressed and didn’t sleep well.
Something that might help me today is...
Materials & Media
RECOMMENDED:
Drawing paper-4x4
Colored Pencils
Markers
Small Sketchbook (this
can be optional)
OPTIONAL:
Tempera paint sticks
Crayons
Watercolors
Emotion check in-sheet
(Supplemental 1)
post-its
Chart paper
Taking breaks once in a while.
Post-it note check-in
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group
members, to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and
cooperation with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Opening Intervention
Building Rapport/Group Hands
Liebmann, M. (2015). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises. Routledge.
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group members,
to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and cooperation
with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Intervention
Visual Representation College
Topic 1
Your Voice Matters-Goal Forming
Identifying Goals
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Begin establishing trust and understanding between the therapist and group members,
to enhance communication and collaboration.
Understand their unique experiences, validating their perspectives, and creating a
comfortable environment.
Objectives:
Through creative collaboration, participants practice communication and cooperation
with peers.
To represent their identities, group members will create a visual collage.
Intervention
Goal Forming
Smart Goals
Goal Tracking
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Identifying Strengths
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Your Power Card
Topic 2
Understanding Strengths
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
To Identify individual strengths
Objectives:
Increase overall self-esteem.
Visualize and explore various aspects of their emotional life, personal values, and
coping strategies.
Intervention
Positive Affirmations
Topic 3
Understanding Emotions
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance emotional literacy through the use of emotion chart, to recognize and
articulate emotions.
Objectives:
Identify and understand emotions to communicate them to others.
Intervention
Emotion Chart
Topic 3
Understanding Emotions
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance emotional literacy to recognize and articulate emotions.
Objectives:
Identify and understand emotions to communicate them to others.
Intervention
Emotion Landscape
Guzman, L. (2020). Essential Art Therapy Exercises. Callisto Publishing.
Topic 4
Anxiety Mediator
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Develop healthy coping strategies
Reduce anxiety symptoms and manage worry
Objectives:
Identify sensory triggers and communicate them to others.
Identify and utilize at least 3 healthy coping mechanisms that are effective
Intervention
What Helps
Topic 5
Future Self
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Enhance self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and foster a positive mindset.
Objectives:
Identify aspirations, develop actionable steps toward achieving them, and create a
clearer vision of desired future.
Foster positive emotions and reduce anxiety by visualizing success.
Intervention
Future Outlook: Manual
Topic 6
Personal Toolkit
Objective(s)/Goals
Goals:
Build resilience through focusing on strengths and coping strategies
Objectives:
Utilize previous skills learned and apply them to future situations.
Intervention
Personal Toolkit
Limitations &
Future Research
Made for specific population
Future could be adapting to meet the needs of
others. Adapted for general ed population
Could be adapted for younger or older population
Ideally written for a group
better in group or individual
Future-What is a good number of clients?
Resource guide for parents to support this curriculum
Could be adapted for shorter lengths of time
Theoretical
has not been put into practice
Areas for Future Exploration
Important to continue to reinforce this to help this
become a second nature/lean into it
Making sure with in school or home this is also
reinforced with other educators and parents.
If in schoolIEP : can be brought into annual meeting in order
to help client advocate
Second part of curriculum
Personal metaphor
Social connections by building
strengths and interests
Building Community Awareness
on
existing
Final Thoughts
21 years of working with adolescents in art
education has given me the privilege of seeing where
gaps are within my geographical area.
Over the years I have observed the changes in
struggles with adolescents.
Mental health issues on the rise
IEP’s on the rise
This is only the beginning of what could have great
potential.
This curriculum is something that will change and
adapt much like the adolescent population.
why flexibility is essential
needs to meet the needs of each individual
References
Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. (2016). What is autism?. Association for Autism
and Neurodiversity. https://aane.org /autism-info-faqs/autism-basics/what-is-autism/
ASAN. (2025). About autism. Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
https://autisticadvocacy.org /about-asan/about-autism/
CDC. (2024). Treatment and intervention for autism spectrum disorder. U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/treatment/index.html
Chapman, R., & Botha, M. (2022). Neurodivergence‐informed therapy. Developmental
Medicine & Child Neurology, 65(3), 310–317. https://doi.org /10.1111/dmcn.15384
Guzman, L. (2020). Essential Art Therapy Exercises. Callisto Publishing.
Hillier, A., Johnson, H., Rosenbaum, B., Paterson, W., Veneziano, J., & Wood, A. (2025). Stress,
anxiety, and steampunk art in autistic adolescents and young adults. The Arts in
Psychotherapy, 94, 102314. https://doi.org /10.1016/j.aip.2025.102314
Liebmann, M. (2015). Art therapy for groups: A handbook of themes and exercises.
Routledge.
Quirk, F. (2024, September 26). Becoming neurodiversity affirming: Listening to autistic
people to inform our approaches with neurodivergent students in schools. Opening Doors to
Safer and More Inclusive Schools - Opening Doors to Safer and More Inclusive Schools.
https://endseclusion.org /2024/09/16/becoming-neurodiversity-affirming-listening-to-autisticpeople-to-inform-our-approaches-with-neurodivergent-students-in-schools/
Stallings, J. W. (2021). Special interest connection framework: Integrating pop culture into art
therapy with autistic individuals. Art Therapy, 39(3), 121–127.
https://doi.org /10.1080/07421656.2021.2013718
Vogel, S. W., Mullins, K. L., & Kumar, S. (2024). Art therapy for children and adolescents with
autism: A systematic review. International Journal of Art Therapy, 30(2), 113–122.
https://doi.org /10.1080/17454832.2024.2343373
Questions