Explaining the Intersection of Art and Disability in Dealing with People on the Autism Spectrum

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student of Art Research, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Art Studies & Art History, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, Corresponding Author.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Art Research, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiyat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22051/jjh.2023.43481.1969

Abstract

 
 
In the field of medical literature, autism was first conceptualized by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler as a sign of childhood schizophrenia. Leo Kanner, an American-Austrian psychiatrist, described this concept as a distinct disorder in 1943. During the 1960s and 1970s, research on this new syndrome became increasingly prevalent, but there was still much confusion surrounding it. Only a few individuals, even those working in the medical field, were aware of this condition, and only a handful of cases of autism had been documented. Some researchers and physicians still interpreted it as a form of childhood schizophrenia, while others considered the characteristics of autism to be related to brain dysfunction, mental retardation, or child psychopathology.
In the 1980s, systematic research on autism increased, and researchers introduced biological factors such as deficits in theory of mind and mirror neurons as the primary causes of this abnormality. Autism was then officially classified as a distinct and diagnosable disorder within the wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions in the DSM-III. It was separated from childhood schizophrenia, and the term "Asperger's syndrome" became commonly used. However, it was still thought to be a very rare occurrence.
In the 1990s, more precise assessment criteria for this abnormality were formulated in the DSM-IV, and autism was described as a lifelong condition (lifetime) in individuals, classified under mental disorder number 299, and characterized by the triad of symptoms: weak social interaction, communication deficits (both verbal and non-verbal), and the presence of repetitive, stereotyped, and restricted behavioral patterns. Awareness of autism increased during the last two decades of the twentieth century. This trend grew to the point where autism became the most rapidly spreading among all developmental disabilities worldwide and turned into a global public health concern. So much so that in the DSM-5 (2013), the triad of autism symptoms was consolidated into two categories: "communication-social disorders and restricted, repetitive behaviors," Asperger's syndrome was removed from the manual, and autism was included as a wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions, officially referred to as "Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This definition of autism fits within the medical mode of disability. In this model, autism is considered a global neurocognitive disorder with consistent biological foundations, characterized by core symptoms and features (lack of eye contact, repetitive movements, etc.) based on deviations from normal and normative behavior. By officially recognizing autism as a new category of "developmental disabilities," a new institutional matrix was formed, comprising social therapy, specialized education, and intervention programs. Social institutions, particularly psychiatry and psychology, played a role in shaping the hegemonic discourse that labels autism primarily as a deficiency, disorder, and illness, which will ultimately be identified and treated through continuous efforts by scientific experts. However, the approach to these individuals was not that of treating an illness but rather leaned towards "rehabilitation," emphasizing empowerment and capacity-building. Thus, various interventions were deemed necessary for two purposes: reducing autism symptoms and improving essential communication skills, social skills, and behavioral functioning. Art therapy is one of these interventions.
On the opposite pole of the medical model is the social model of disability, which is created by disabled individuals themselves and looks at the barriers created by society in terms of the full participation of disabled individuals in everyday life. According to this model, disability is not only located in the body but is created by social and material conditions that render various minds and bodies "disabled" in terms of full participation. With this model, autism can be seen as a personal, family, and social experience. It also acknowledges autistic individuals as having emotions, feelings, and social relationships that are influenced by the cultural values of the societies they live in. In this way, the individual is viewed as disabled by societal shortcomings, and instead of focusing solely on autism as an illness, it examines the individual as a human, social, and cultural phenomenon. Therefore, it not only seeks to amend and treat the person but also employs various methods, including art in addressing the definitions of autism within the medical model in expressing their identity.
In recent years, autism spectrum disorder has gained attention as a social and medical issue within the realms of scholarly and critical studies on disability. One of the primary branches of these studies focuses on the intersection of art and disability, which can be examined through two distinct perspectives: art therapy and disability arts.
This article explores the complex intersection between art, rehabilitation, and disability, as well as how art interacts with disability from the perspectives of both the medical and social models. When we talk about intersection, we are referring to a discourse that relates an individual's life, artistic practices, and power relationships. This form of intersection and relationship shapes ideas about what disability is and how it should be addressed. By juxtaposing art therapy alongside the principles of neurodiversity and disability art, the differences between them and their approaches to individuals within the autism spectrum become evident.
Based on this, the authors aim to move away from art therapy and the medical model, considering the social model to answer the following questions: How can disability art break down boundaries such as othering, power imbalances between the therapist and the client, and ableism perpetuated by art therapy? Additionally, how does art respond to the repetitive behaviors and stereotypies considered as core symptoms of individuals within the autism spectrum?
This article employs a descriptive-analytical approach to analyze the concepts presented in critical disability studies and investigate the intersection between art therapy and disability art. Information is gathered through library resources, including written and online sources, translations of books and articles, and it emphasizes the concept of neurodiversity - which presents neurological disorders not as disorders but as diversity in human understanding - in exploring how these two artistic frameworks differ in their encounters with individuals within the autism spectrum.
The results obtained from examining the conflicting relationship between the two frameworks, art therapy, and disability art, using critical disability studies in the context of individuals within the autism spectrum, demonstrate the following: On one side, there is the medical model that attributes all problems to the individual with disabilities and, based on the concept of empowerment, directs the disabled individual towards an ideal and normative world for acceptance by society. In this model, art therapy is used as an intervention and tool for improving and ultimately curing individual and behavioral deficiencies. Healthcare professionals, particularly psychologists, play a central role in this field. They view their primary task and objective as empowerment, improvement, and the elimination of autism symptoms such as social interaction deficits and repetitive behaviors. However, since the relationships established between the individual and the expert are based on the doctor-patient model and aimed at treatment, in most cases, the individual is considered as the other, and power relations between them are formative.
On the other hand, disability arts aim to dismantle all the boundaries created by art therapy using the social model. It presents an autistic individual as a distinct identity. Unlike art therapy, it illustrates how autistic identities offer valuable insights into reimagining and expanding ideas related to "normalcy" or cognitive abilities. In contrast to medicalizing disability-related art and art therapy programs, which often solely provide art education and do not consider professional training for participants, disability arts transform the signs and characteristics of an autistic individual (considered deficits in the medical model) into strengths. In other words, art therapy is a systematic and therapeutic approach to art that is often conducted in clinical settings, with a focus on improvement and rehabilitation. In contrast, disability arts represent a recognized and accepted form of art within the artistic community, displayed in galleries, exhibitions, museums, etc. The artist's work and abilities are acknowledged with the label of disability. In essence, while art therapy seeks rehabilitation or "normalization," disability arts, which belong to disability studies, challenge this perspective by using a new paradigm called "neurodiversity." This paradigm does not see conditions like autism as disorders to be fixed but as alternative ways of living. In this context, the autism spectrum represents a range of cognitive styles and ways of experiencing the world. Disability arts, originating from lived experiences, challenge societal norms and resist dominant narratives, attempting to shift the conversation from "curing" or "overcoming" disability toward acceptance, empowerment, and celebration.
 

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منابع
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