Designing a culturally appropriate space begins by recognizing that culture affects us from the moment we are born. It plays a role in how a child grows up, how a person communicates, how a person perceives time, the beliefs and values of a family, as well as the way space is inhabited. These cultural characteristics inform how designers design space. However, what happens when the designer is not from the client’s culture? Knowledge about another culture is often gained by interior designers through client interviews, internet searches, and the occasional book. It is important to add community visits to this list. Cultural understanding is enriched when a person is able to experience the culture through smells, sights, sounds, touch, and taste. These sensory experiences explain answers to questions we, as interior designers, never even knew we had. This project responds to the gap that exists between the designer and the clients’ community. Through an exploration of the Nicaraguan culture and cross-cultural theory this project proposes a design for an art therapy centre that addresses Nicaragua’s culturally-specific needs. By examining trauma and its effects on children, the design can be child-specific while being sensitive to trauma-related symptoms. This will be done through the exploration of areas of knowledge related to sensorimotor theory, art therapy, and mind, body, space theory.

Social work is a profession that espouses respect for the value of diversity. However, diversity is limited in social work programs as these programs focus primarily on the teaching of verbal methods of connection for social workers to engage with clients. Non verbal methods of communication are limited in social work programs. This inhibits diversity as research has demonstrated that many clients for various reasons are unable to communicate through verbal dialogue. This present study explored social workers attitudes towards the use of art in their therapy. Six social workers from a children's mental health agency were interviewed and the results indicated that social workers used art in their work and found it beneficial for their clients. The social workers limited education in non-verbal modalities of communication however, prevented them from using the art effectively. The study recommends that social work programs include nonverbal methods of communication to ensure diversity and best practice for the profession of social work.

Darbe atlikta teorinė analizė atskleidė, kad sutrikusios klausos mokiniai susiduria su verbalinės raiškos problemomis dėl turimo skurdaus žodyno ir paveikto gebėjimo priimti, suprasti, išreikšti lingvistinę informaciją. Šias problemas galima spręsti dailės terapijos sesijose, kurių metu, sudarant sąlygas, įgyjama dailinės ir verbalinės raiškos patirtis, lavinami įgūdžiai. Iškelta hipotezė, kad dailės terapijos sesijose yra skatinama klausos sutrikimų turinčių mokinių verbalinė raiška. Veiklos (veiksmo) metodu buvo atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas – ištirti dailės terapijos poveikį skatinant sutrikusios klausos mokinių verbalinę raišką. Panaudojus literatūros analizės rezultatus, organizuotos dailės terapijos sesijos, kuriose buvo stebimos dailinės raiškos inspiravimo ir verbalinės raiškos skatinimo apraiškos. Tyrime dalyvavo 5 (2 neprigirdintys ir 3 kurti) klausos sutrikimų turintys 10-14 metų amžiaus mokiniai. Empirinėje dalyje nagrinėti sutrikusios klausos mokinių verbalinės raiškos skatinimo rezultatai bei atliktos content ir fenomenografinės analizės atskleidė svarbiausias tyrimo išvadas: 1. Retrospektyvus dailės terapijos sesijų stebėjimas atskleidė, kad grupės dalyvių verbalinė raiška yra skatinama tiesioginiu poveikiu – sudarant sąlygas išsisakyti, papasakoti apie savo dailinės raiškos kūrinį, atsakyti į mokytojos ir kitų grupės dalyvių klausimus bei netiesioginiu poveikiu – stebint mokytojos bendravimą, kitų dalyvių pasisakymus, išreiškiant spontaniškai kilusias... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The theoretical research performed in the paper revealed that the pupils with hearing impairments confronted with the problems of verbal expression concerning their poor vocabulary and their affected ability to accept, perceive, and express linguistic information. These problems can be solved in sessions of art therapy, which capacitate acquiring experience of artistic and verbal expression and development of skills. We have hypothesized that the verbal expression of pupils with hearing impairments is stimulated during the sessions of art therapy. The research, which aim was the ascertainment of the effect of the art therapy on stimulation of the verbal expression of the pupils with hearing impairments, was performed by the method of activity (action). By using the results of the literature analysis, the sessions of art therapy were organised, during which we observed the manifestations of artistic activity inspiration and stimulation of verbal expression. 5 pupils with hearing impairments (2 hard of hearing and 3 deaf) of 10 – 14 years old participated in the research. The results of verbal expression stimulation of the pupils with hearing impairments analysed in the empirical part and the content and phenomenographic analyses revealed the following main conclusions of the research: 1. The retrospective observation of the art therapy sessions revealed that the verbal expression of the participants of the group was stimulated by the direct impact – by allowing opening... [to full text]

Darbe atlikta teorinė savęs vertinimo sampratos ir vaikų, turinčių kalbos sutrikimų, psichosocialinių poreikių (saviraiškos, bendravimo, emocijų raiškos) tenkinimo kaip optimalaus savęs vertinimo ugdymosi prielaidos analizė. Nustatyta, kad vaikų, turinčių kalbos sutrikimų, savęs vertinimas gali būti neadekvatus, o dailės terapija, inicijuojanti šių vaikų saviraišką, gali padėti ugdyti(s) ir kelti savęs vertinimą. Iškelta hipotezė, kad dailės terapija yra veiksminga vaikų, turinčių kalbos sutrikimų, savęs vertinimui ugdyti(s). Atliktas veiklos tyrimas, kurio tikslas- atskleisti dailės terapijos veiksmingumą vaikų, turinčių kalbos sutrikimų, savęs vertinimui. Tyrime dalyvavo septyni paruošiamosios mokyklai grupės, vidutinį ir žymų kalbos neišsivystymą turintys vaikai. / Heoretical analysis of the concept of self-esteem and meeting of psychosocial needs (self-expression, communication, expression of emotions) of children having speech disorders, as the presupposition of optimal self-esteem has been performed in the research work. It has been identified that self-esteem of children having speech disorders may be inadequate, and art therapy initiating self-expression of these children may help in self-education and increase their self-esteem. The hypothesis has been raised that art therapy is efficient in developing self-esteem of pupils having speech disorders. Activity research the aim of which is to reveal the efficiency of art therapy on the self-esteem of pupils having speech disorders has been performed. Seven pre-school group children having moderate and severe speech underdevelopment participated in the research.

Lietuvoje kasmet tėvų globos netenka daugybė vaikų. Globos įstaigų auklėtiniams dažnai nustatomi emocijų sutrikimai, kuriuos lemia ydinga ankstyvoji emocinė raida. Emocinių sutrikimų turintys vaikai yra atsiriboję nuo kitų vaikų. Lietuvoje specializuota pagalba tokiems vaikams labai ribota. Vaikams turintiems emocinės sferos patologiją reikalinga specializuota pagalba, intensyvi įvairių specialistų. Vienas iš prevencijos ir socialinės pagalbos būdų - dailės terapija. Šio tyrimo tikslas ištirti globos namų 3-5 metų auklėtinių emocijų raišką taikant užsiėmimuose dailės terapijos būdus. Uždaviniai: išanalizuoti mokslinę literatūrą, susijusią su darbo tema; pateikti emocinių sutrikimų turinčių 3-5 metų vaikų pedagoginę ir psichologinę charakteristiką; išryškinti dailės terapijos būdų taikymo galimybes ugdant emocinių sutrikimų turinčius 3-5 metų vaikus; išsiaiškinti vaikų globos namų darbuotoju požiūrį į dailės terapijos naudingumą. Tyrimo objektas - 3-5 metų vaikų, ugdomų globos namuose, emocijų raiška taikant dailės terapijos būdus. Tyrimo metodai: Lietuvos švietimo dokumentų, pedagoginės, psichologinės, dailės terapijos literatūros studijavimas, veiklos tyrimas: stebėjimas, dokumentų (piešinių) analizė, kokybinė duomenų analizė, pusiau struktūruotas interviu. Veiklos tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad dailės terapijos būdų taikymas vaikams turintiems emocinių sutrikimų, gali padėti geriau pažinti save ir kitus, padėti išreikšti savo jausmus (taip pat ir negatyvius), ugdo asmenybės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Lots of children in Lithuania become orphans every year. Children living in care institutions often suffer from emotional disorders which are caused by faulty early emotional development. The children facing emotional disorders are distanced from other children. Any specialized aid for such children in Lithuania is very limited. Children with emotional sphere pathology are in great need of intensive specialized help of various specialists. Art therapy is one of preventive and social ways of help to such children. The aim of this research is to investigate the expression of emotions when the art therapy is applied to 3-5 years old children living in foster home. The main objectives of the research are to analyze the academic literature related to the topic of the research, to provide with pedagogical and psychological characteristics of the 3-5 years old children with emotional disorders, highlight the possibilities of art therapy application to the children and find out the opinion about the utility of the art therapy of people working in care institutions. The object of the research is the expression of emotions when the art therapy is applied to the 3-5 years old children living in foster home. The research methods encompass the study of documents related to education in Lithuania, pedagogical and psychological literature, the analysis of literature on art therapy. The investigation includes observation, analysis of documents (drawings), qualitative data analysis and a... [to full text]

Tyrimo aktualumas. Apie 80 procentų pacientų su stuburo smegenų pažeidimais yra vyrai, paaugliai ir jauni suaugusieji. Dauguma jų yra aktyvūs, socialūs asmenys, kurių reabilitacijos tikslas po nugaros smegenų pažeidimo – grįžti į normalų gyvenimą pas šeimą, draugus, bendraamžius. Mokslininkai teigia, kad tradicinis vyriškas vaidmuo visuomenėje – tokie bruožai kaip stiprumas, emocijų kontrolė, savarankiškumas, jėga ir dominavimas trukdo vyrams ieškoti pagalbos. Be to, tradicinės vyriškumo savybės, įskaitant nepriklausomumą, sėkmę darbe, yra susijusios su bendru savęs vertinimu, todėl pakitimai gali turėti žymų poveikį. Teorinėje dalyje pristatoma identiteto samprata, tapatumą aiškinančios teorijos, kentėjimo trajektorijos samprata. Skiriamas vaidmuo nehegemoninio vyriškumo aptarimui, vyriškumo ir negalios sankirtų perspektyvai. Remiantis autorių įžvalgomis bandoma apibūdinti skirtingas vyriškumo formas. Analizuojama vyrų, patyrusių stuburo traumą, biografinė perspektyva, kaip įvykis, pertvarkantis ir perstruktūruojantis visą jų gyvenimą, keičiantis vyrų identitetą. Analizuojamas socialinis darbas, komandinis darbas reabilitacijos įstaigose. Darbe apžvelgiami fiziologiniai procesai, kurie aiškina fiziologines stuburo smegenų pažeidimo pasekmes, be kurių negalima paaiškinti psichosocialinių aspektų. Baigiamasis darbas nagrinėja vyrų, patyrusių stuburo traumą, patirtis, jų biografinę situaciją. Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti vyrų, patyrusių stuburo traumą, biografinio ,,darbo“... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Topicalityoftheresearch. Approximately 80 percentofpatientswhohavesufferedspinalcordinjuries are men, teenagersoryoungadults. Majorityofthem are active, socialpersonswhoserehabilitationaimafterthespinalcordinjuryis to return to normallifeintheirfamilies, withtheirfriends, andcontemporaries. Scientistsstatethatthetraditionalman's role inthesociety - suchfeaturesasdiligence, controlofemotions, independence, poweranddomination - preventsthemfromsearchingforhelp. Moreover, thetraditionalmasculinitycharacteristics, includingindependence, success at work, isrelated to thegeneralself-evaluation,thus, changesmayhavesignificanteffect. Thetheoreticpartpresentstheconceptofidentity, theoriesexplainingpersonalidentity, theconceptofsufferingtrajectory. Attentionispaid to non-hegemonicdiscussionofmasculinity, theperspectiveofmasculinityanddisabilitycrossing. Onthebasisoftheauthors' insightsattempts are made to describeseparateformsofmasculinity. Thebiographicalperspectiveofmenwhohavesuffered spine trauma isanalyzedasaneventrearrangingandrestructuringtheirentirelife, changemen’sidentity. Socialworkandteamworkinrehabilitationinstitutions are analyzed. Theworksurveysthephysiologicalprocessesexplainingtheconsequencesofspinalcordinjurywithoutwhichthepsychologicalaspectscannot be explained. Thefinalworkanalyzestheexperienceofmenwhohavesuffered spine trauma, theirbiographicalsituation. Objectoftheresearch – to revealthebiographicalworkexperienceofmenwhohavesuffered spine trauma byapplying art... [to full text]

In this dissertation, a qualitative research project has been conducted focusing on two theatres for persons with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the dissertation was to analyze the ideological tension between artistic practises and the institutional setting in which they are arranged. The aim of the thesis was answered through the following questions: What happens when a new and innovative logic is introduced on a well established organisational field? How do Rebellerna and Ållateatern translate and manage the institutional setting under which they are working? How do Rebellerna and Ållateatern relate to the surrounding environment? The analysis is based on a qualitative research project conducted over a period of two years on Ållateatern and six mounts on Rebellerna. Theoretically, the analysis has been inspired by disability theory and neo-institutional theory. In the dissertation I argue that Rebellerna and Ållateatern, in their formal structure, reflect two different logics, which have influenced their relationship with the institutional environment as well as with the actors working at the theatres. These logics have been interpreted as a consequence of the need for human service organizations to obtain legitimacy from the institutional environment. However, on an individual level the tension between an artistic logic and a therapeutic logic has had a social meaning for the actors working at Rebellerna and Ållateatern. It has generated a selfunderstanding which besides the role of a client to the welfare state also includes the role of an actor. These experiences have generated a stronger belief in their own capabilities and a sense of pride. It has also challenged established social meanings on intellectual disabilities. However, one conclusion in the thesis is that both Ållateatern and Rebellerna have had an impact in influence the organisational field of daily activities. Another conclusion is that the tension between therapy and art on an individual level represents an important building block to generate a formation of identity and sub-cultural belonging.

Magistriniame darbe aptariama priklausomybės ligų socialinė svarba, akcentuojama, jog dėl minėtos ligos kyla daugybė neigiamų padarinių visuomenėje. Pirminis efektyvios priklausomybės ligų prevencijos atspirties taškas yra kokybiškas teisinis reguliavimas. Nemažiau svarbus ir įgyvendinimo mechanizmas, kuris dažnai dėl įvairių priežasčių neįgyvendina prevencijos programos. Darbe analizuojama inovatyvi prevencijos priemonė – dailės terapija. Pateikiami jos naudojimo rezultatai, taikymo galimybės ir ateities perspektyvos, vykdant prevenciją ar gydant priklausomybe sergančius asmenis. Taip pat magistriniame darbe atlikta lyginamoji Lietuvos ir Suomijos valstybių prevencijos sistemų analizė. / In the Master‘s Thesis addictive diseases prevention system in Lithuania is beeing discussed. Author highlights narcologic disease dependency and social importance. Intoxicating substances can cause many negative effects on society. Also, addictive diseases prevention legal system and enforcement mechanism have been analyzed. Moreover, author represent innovative prevention method – art therapy in the addictive disease prevention system. After innovative prevention method the author presents comparative analysis of Finland and Lithuanian addiction prevention systems.

Designing a culturally appropriate space begins by recognizing that culture affects us from the moment we are born. It plays a role in how a child grows up, how a person communicates, how a person perceives time, the beliefs and values of a family, as well as the way space is inhabited. These cultural characteristics inform how designers design space. However, what happens when the designer is not from the client’s culture? Knowledge about another culture is often gained by interior designers through client interviews, internet searches, and the occasional book. It is important to add community visits to this list. Cultural understanding is enriched when a person is able to experience the culture through smells, sights, sounds, touch, and taste. These sensory experiences explain answers to questions we, as interior designers, never even knew we had. This project responds to the gap that exists between the designer and the clients’ community. Through an exploration of the Nicaraguan culture and cross-cultural theory this project proposes a design for an art therapy centre that addresses Nicaragua’s culturally-specific needs. By examining trauma and its effects on children, the design can be child-specific while being sensitive to trauma-related symptoms. This will be done through the exploration of areas of knowledge related to sensorimotor theory, art therapy, and mind, body, space theory.

Chronic pain among children is poorly understood and few studies attempt to elicit and portray the experiences of the sufferers and their families. This qualitative case study used art inquiry and narrative methodologies as a means to understand the participants' stories of chronic pain. The participating family has a child aged 6 who has been experiencing unexplained chronic pain for over 2 years. Data were gathered through five art making sessions. The first stage of analysis occurred during the art making sessions as participants and researcher worked together to understand the messages and meanings within their creations. The researcher then compiled the debriefing transcripts into stories that capture the core of these messages and meanings. Finally, the researcher pulled together themes and points of interest in terms of satisfying the purpose of this inquiry and responding to the guiding research questions.