Special Education Students Overcome Obstacles With Art Therapy

INTEGRATION OF DRAMA AND THEATRE THERAPY  IN THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS From 7th to 11th of March, Klaipeda Litorina School organized the second visit of the Erasmus+ Project „SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS OVERCOME OBSTACLES WITH ART THERAPY“. During the aforementioned visit, the method of drama and theatre therapy was introduced towards the educators from Estonia, Greece, Italy, Romania and Turkey.  Drama therapy is one of the various types of art therapy. It has many definitions. As defined by the Slovak drama therapist Katarina Majzlanova: ‘it is the most suitable type of therapy to employ within our school’. She believes that drama therapy is a therapeutic and educational discipline applied in group sessions, which - on one hand - helps to reduce the symptoms and the effects of disorders as well as social problems - and on the other hand - strengthens the social development and personal integration. Drama and theatre therapies are close...

MASKS AND CARNIVALS Even though, half a year had already passed since the end of the visit to Romania, interest in mask therapy has not diminished one bit. We do not always want to show our feelings and moods, we do not always want to communicate, so wearing a mask provides the children with special needs with an opportunity to cope with the excess of negative emotions, calm down and relax. And also to celebrate the Christmas, New Year and Shrovetide carnivals.   Romanian team GREECE  TURKEY LITHUANIA The mask therapy methodology presented by the colleagues from Romania was successfully tested at Klaipėda Litorina School. While creating the masks, children discussed the emotions and moods of those masks, as well as the feelings people experience at various moments in their lives. The theme of the masks is "The Christmas or the New Year's tale!", therefore we can guarantee that the parts of the mask we sent to our partners will be fun. St Martin’s Day in Estonia St Martin’...

FAIRYTALE THERAPY TEACHINGS IN BUCHAREST Throughout the 6–10th of September, the participants of the ERASMUS+ (KA229) Project Special Education Students Overcome Obstacles gathered for their first meeting in Romania. The participants were invited to the Special Secondary School for Visually Impaired Students to attend the teachings during which the employees of the aforementioned institutions applied Art Therapy within the educational programme for their pupils. During the teachings, the participants found out how Art Therapy can help a person having visual impairment and got familiarised with various teaching methods that were experienced first-hand by the participants. Said experiences will be presented and experienced together with their pupils once the participants return to their schools.  Fairytales are loved by both children and adults. This was the reasoning for selecting the aforementioned literature genre for the achievement of the goals set out by the therapy teachings. ...

  Movement therapy -  THE CLIMBING  You can be the protagonist of your own success story The Special School for the Visually Impaired Students gave 2 great athletes world champions of Paraclimbing. With great joy, visually impaired children can climb regardless of the weather because a climbing panel has been builded right in the school gym. Every week are organized sports sessions for our beautiful children on the climbing panel built right in the school gym. 65% of children with disabilities who participate in climbing therapy say they are confident. 90% say they trust their own strengths.  We see the determination and desire of the little ones to become the best, to have all the confidence in the potential that is hidden in them, to overcome all obstacles. At the end of the climbing therapy sessions, the children are much more sociable and cheerful, their serene faces speak for themselves. Sports activities - adapted to students with visual impairme...

  Spring is a particularly grateful time of the year to cultivate all senses of the children, to develop their cognitive processes as well as their creativity, to encourage communication and cooperation. PLANT THERAPY The effects of plant and nature therapy have been known since the old days. Medical plants have healing abilities, while greening and blossoming plants have soothing and relaxing abilities, They are also able to delight and teach us. The windowsills at the Klaipeda Litorina School start blossoming every spring and later are adorned with colourful flowers. While planting and caring for their plants, the pupils get to know the different parts of the plants, their features, learn to name the colours and different plants, as well as find out which plants are used for medicine and which ones are used for decorations. They also get to draw, craft and mould various plants, as well as create postcards commemorating Father’s and Mother’s day festivities. ZENDOODLE (SPRING THER...