In creative arts therapies (CATs), mainly music, art, theatre and dance interventions are applied by specially trained professionals to promote psychosocial well-being. In this context, the product is less important than the process in terms of elementary expression and playful social interaction. Due to the meta-verbal nature of the media, CATs seem to be particularly appropriate for people at lower levels of functioning with limited language. However, systematic research on the effectiveness of these interventions with people with intellectual disabilities is in its infancy but shows some promising results.
Thomas Bergmann, PhD, is a certified music therapist with PhD in psychology and head of the therapy department of the Treatment Center for Mental Health in Developmental Disabilities at KEH, Berlin. Next to his clinical work he is supervisor in own practice. His research interests are on creative arts in therapy, autism spectrum disorder, social-emotional development and assessment reflected in numerous international publications.