Art Therapy for Early Intervention Children

Peggy (a pseudonym) is a mild-mannered, smiley, non-verbal four-year-old girl with learning disabilities. She was born with differences in her brain’s white matter, which affects her memory span and ability to remember new people, making it difficult for her to form attachments with surrounding people. In her early years, Peggy’s limited mobility also delayed her sense of independence. She once relied on walking equipment and now wears corrective shoes; though she can walk, she still needs an adult to hold both her hands for balance and safety.

When Peggy was referred for weekly one-on-one art therapy in May, she had trouble adapting to any change. A new classroom or an unfamiliar face could easily unsettle her, and her carer often struggled to comfort her. She showed little interest in toys or sensory materials, making it difficult to engage her through play. The carer’s initial hope for therapy was simply that Peggy might begin to explore and enjoy new sensations.

At first, Peggy found the sessions intimidating. She often cried and needed her carer to stay beside her for the first fifteen minutes. The therapist patiently introduced different materials: watercolour, crayons, building blocks, and toy animals. However just as in her larger class, she showed little response to most materials. Yet something subtle began to change when the therapist offered watercolour. Peggy didn’t paint on the paper but loved to feel the paint on her hands, quietly smiling as her fingers became covered in color.

By late June, a gentle but significant shift emerged. Peggy began to remember the therapist and, during each session, would grasp the therapist’s hand and guide it toward the paint bottles, which is her way of saying she wanted more. The therapist recognized Peggy’s love for watercolour not merely as a preference to note and move past, but as a bridge for connection. Through every small gesture, the therapist seemed to say, “Trust me and tell me what you like in your own way. I’m listening.” In this shared rhythm of giving and responding, Peggy learned that her preferences mattered.

For children like Peggy, discovering what they enjoy is the beginning of self-awareness. The ability to show preference, such as choosing a color, marks the first step toward agency and communication.

Peggy’s art therapy journey continues, each session nurturing her fragile but growing ability to connect. In the most recent session, she put a toy piano inside the therapist’s hand to express that she would like to hear the therapist singing a new tune. With time and support, her world is opening, one shared moment at a time. Your support can help Peggy continue walking this path toward connection and confidence.

With gratitude,

Mavis Tsai

Links:

• TFCF Taichung City Child Development Center FB (in Chinese)
• Find all TFCF projects in GlobalGiving

Lizzy is five years old and on the autism spectrum. Her speech is still very limited—she might say just one word at a time, like “play”—but she communicates clearly through her actions: running to the paint bottles, gripping my hand and pulling me to items she needed help with. Yet there was always something in her grasp: two small figurines, or sometimes a lump of clay, held tightly in one hand throughout the session. It meant she could only use one hand to create, but she never let go. When the one-on-one session came to an end, Lizzy often burst into tears. I would gently remind her, “Lizzy, it’s time for you join the class. So you have to give me back the two small figurines.” She understood the fact that happy moments must end, but letting go was still deeply painful.

What struck me early on was how powerfully Lizzy used art to express herself. She didn’t just make things—she became them. Whether painting a stuffed rabbit’s face green, stamping a toy animal’s footprint into clay, or covering her own hand in red or green paint to press onto paper, Lizzy projected parts of herself into the materials. At times, she wrapped shiny flakes or toys inside a lump of clay, only to dig them out again—repeating the process over and over. These rituals seemed to mirror an emotional journey: of being entangled with others, then gradually separating, finding the edges of her own being.

In these moments, I saw how hard she was working to make sense of the world. Each painted handprint seemed to say, “Wow! This is my hand. This is me.” When she wrapped and unwrapped playdough around toy figures, I saw her shaping and reshaping a self still coming into form. My role was to be present—to witness, to name her wonder, and to offer steady, helping hands.

At first, the repetitive process of her holding onto the figurines, giving them back to me in tears, and quickly grasping them again continued throughout the entire transition back to her class. Sometimes, she would lie down on the playroom mattress and burst into tears when told the session was over. By the end of June, however, Lizzy was able to let go of the figurines right inside the playroom where we had spent time making art together. Perhaps this shift came through being her helping hands—without judgment—and through our shared attention to Lizzy’s gradual coming into being.

Your incredible generosity makes transformations like Lizzy's possible. Witnessing her journey of self-discovery and learning to "let go" through art therapy is deeply moving, and it's all thanks to your support. Your contributions provide a safe space for children like Lizzy to explore, grow, and empower our team to guide them. Thank you for being a vital partner in these beautiful changes. We look forward to sharing more progress in future reports!

Links:

• TFCF Taichung City Child Development Center FB (in Chinese)
• Find all TFCF projects in GlobalGiving