User:Learning2LearnLM/sandbox/Disabilities and The Arts

Art is the expression of imagination and the application of creativity through literature, drama, poetry, music, dance, drawing, sculpting ect.

Disabilities and the Arts is a complex topic that includes the programs and services dedicated to assisting disabled persons to participate in The Arts, the use of The Arts as therapeutic methods for disabled persons, careers in The Arts for disabled persons and the equal access to the Arts by providing opportunities that are available and practical.

A disability is a physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment that hinders a persons equal participation in society.

There are a range of programs specifically designed to work artistically with people who have a disability. The number of programs available vary on the participants age, the disability and whether they wish to pursue a career in The Arts.

The Arts can also be used as a form of therapy for disabled persons. Art Therapy is the creative process of art used as a therapeutic method. Art therapy is used through specific art processes to improve overall health, physical, emotional and cognitive functioning, interpersonal skills, personal development, and quality of life and much more. Music therapy is use of music and musical elements as a therapeutic method. The use of music can benefit cognition, speech and language, and mental health through music listening, songwriting, improvisation and lyric analysis.

In a professional environment the creative collaboration between disabled and non-disabled artists is called Inclusive Arts. Visual Art created disabled artists can be looked down upon because many of these artists lack any professional training due to their disability (especially if they have an intellectual delay) and their art may may not follow any cultural traditions or boundaries this type of Art is referred to as “Outsider Art”.

Art created by people with a disability that address the experiences of living with a disability (this can be portrayed through various forms of the arts) is called Disability Arts. Disability Arts play a vital role in the articulation and understanding of life with a disability and the discrimination and cultural differences faced.

 Parkinson’s Disease (PD) 

Parkinson’s Disease is a disorder of the nervous system most likely to occur in 60 year olds and older. It results from damage to the nerve cells in the region of the brain that produces dopamine (a chemical vital for smooth control of muscles and movement).

Symptoms: The main symptoms are:


 * tremor or shaking, which usually begins in one arm or hand
 * muscle rigidity or stiffness
 * slowing of movement
 * stooped posture
 * balance problems.

Parkinson’s can also cause pain, depression, problems with memory and sleep

Cure: No cure yet by symptoms can be treated with medicine, healthy diet with regular exercise, modifications to environments at home and work, brain surgery.

Form of the Arts: Dance

An experiment was conducted by Madeleine E. Hackney and Gammon M. Earhart to compare the effects of tango, waltz/foxtrot and no intervention (control) on functional motor control in individuals with PD. The experiments consisted of fifty-eight people with mild-moderate PD randomly assignment to Tango, Waltz/Foxtrot or no intervention. The dance groups attended 1 hour lesson 2 times per week - balance, functional mobility, forward an backward walking were evaluated before and after the intervention. The results were that the dance groups improved more than the control group, which did not improve. Tango and Waltz/Foxtrot significantly improved on the Berg Balance Scale, six minute walk distance, and backwards stride length. Tango improved as much or more than those in Waltz/Foxtrot on several measures. The conclusion was that Tango may target deficits associated with PD more than Waltz/Foxtrot, but both dances benefit balance and locomotion. Dance may be an effective tool for addressing PD because it included dynamic balance and adjustment to environment is a enjoyable and engaging form. The elderly (the majority affected by PD) consider dance to be more enjoyable than traditional exercise. Older adults who participated in dance are found to have increases motivation to pursue healthy, exercise related behaviour and demonstrated improved balance and functional mobility.

Tango was found to have better effects than regular exercise for improving balance and functional mobility in those with PD. Tango involves frequent movement imitation and cessation, spontaneous direction changes, and a wide range of movement speeds. These features can target difficulties with movement initiation, turning, and bradykinesia (the slowness of movement). Tango may also address freesia of gait (FOG) because several step patterns mimic those used in rehabilitation exercises for FOG.

Researches suggest dance has benefits over regular exercise because of its rich experience involving multiple senses, creative expression and social interaction.

One study, published in 2011 in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, found that even after a single class, patients were able to move their limbs more easily, tap their fingers and change their facial expressions. (Loss of facial muscle control can lead to muted expression.) The study participants also described many improvements in the quality of their lives, with one saying, “I want to fly. It gives me a swinging feeling. I feel relaxed after the dance lesson. Before, I’m always very stiff.”

 Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) 

Fragile X Syndrome is a genetic condition caused by a change to the FMR1 gene on the X-chromosome. This results in the gene not being able to produce the protein it produces to help the brain function normally.

Symptoms:

There are a wide range of symptoms such as behaviour and emotional, developmental and physical.

Symptoms may include anxiety and shyness, ADHD, difficulty with eye contact, repetitive speech, aggression, intellectual delay, learning difficulties, development delay, speech and communication difficulties, low muscle time and loose joints and a high palate.

Form of the Arts: Music

Music therapy addresses a wide range areas in need in Fragile X Syndrome.

Speech: Singing increases fluency of speech, rate, appropriate pitch and volume of a speaking voice. The use of rhythmic cueing can also improve the rate of speech. General conversation skills can be enhanced in music inspired conversations, this promotes communication and improves verbal skills. Music, singing and rhythm improves memory and recollection of instructions and auditory information (with visual cue)

Cognitive: Music is motivation to attend a task for a longer period of time and improves attention. It uses both hemispheres of the brain and stimulates cognitive functioning. Music can also be used to  remember information

Motor Skills:  Rhythm can improve gait or walking stride, the use of rhythm in drumming requires coordination and provides a fun opportunity to work on a motor skill. Music also promotes the use fine motor skills.

Social: Music is groups helps with taking turns, eye contact and integration with peers.

Cerebral palsy (CP)

Cerebral Palsy is a disability that affects a persons ability to move. ‘Cerebral’ meaning of the brain and ‘Palsy’ lack of muscle control.

Symptoms:

Symtoms can include: Stiff muscles, lack of muscle control, tremors or involuntary movements, favouring one side of the body, difficulty walking, problems swallowing or excessive drooling, delays in speech development or difficulty speaking, seizures and difficulty with precise motions

Form of the Arts: Dance and Music

Ballet promotes movement coordination and motor learning as well as being a fun, social activity. A recent study shows that Ballet may be an alternative to Physiotherapy in patients with Cerebral Palsy. A study targeted Classical Ballet as a form of physiotherapy in children with cerebral palsy. 12 children with CP (with Gross Motor Function Classification scores II-IV) aged 7-15 years old participated in a 4 week long experiment. They were divided into control group or targeted dance group, the targeted dance group participated in 1h classes the times a week  and before, after and 1 month after the experiment The Pediatric Balance Scale and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills were tested. At the end of the experiment it was concluded that Classical Ballet classes positively affected balance, but the positive impacts on Quality of Upper Extremity Skills did not reach statistical significance. Intensive Ballet training has been found to generate changes in the sensorimotor cortex. Ballet is characterised by precise movement patterns performed to music, in practicing/participating in ballet it improves coordination and builds strong muscle control.

Dance therapy improves physical fitness as well as muscle strength and co-ordination, balance and posture, motor control, flexibility and reduction of stiffness and betters movements and motions. There are also metal and emotional benefits of dance therapy like stress reduction, self-worths and self esteem, development of interests and social involvement/inclusion.

Music has been found to positively impact living cerebral palsy. In an experiment conducted in February to discover whether or not neurological music therapy has an impact on the functionality of children with severe cerebral palsy the results show there was significant improvements in locomotor function snd in the arm and hand position other smaller improvements occurred in load-bearing, head movement and leg position. Music therapy can also improve upper body function in children with cerebral palsy, it connects motor and cognitive skills and improves synchronisation of movement and control over muscle activation patterns. Researches have found that musical training positive impacts movement and sensorimotor. Musical training requires hand and finger coordination and movements synchronised with auditory, visa and sensory information. In another experiment children received individual piano training for 18 months. They found that connections were made in the patients cerebellum and primary motor cortex were improved. These parts of the brain control motor function, balance and coordination.