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Abstract

This work is a study case about selective mutism, certainly one of the most unusual, disconcerting and defying problematic of medicine and education. It involves children in scholar age and the reality shows us how diverse and unique is this syndrome experience, which makes difficult not only the diagnosis but also the definition of treatment strategies. The challenge and central objective of the study consists in verify the extent to which art therapy constitutes an appropriate answer for the problems of the selective mutism. The literature revision addresses this objective and covers specially these two fields: selective mutism and art therapy. Reflecting about a brief historical vision of art therapy, we aim to understand which was and may be the role of art therapy in the child with selective mutism, understand how art therapy may help the child that faces this problem. Art therapy, as a therapeutically process, uses expression techniques and artistic creation intending to lessen the suffering and recover the individual. Naturally, it will be an asset, an excellent resource in schools, to fight the environment inadaptation, the deviant behaviours, failure and scholar abandonment, however it’s necessary to break up retrograde mentalities to be able to evolve and provide well-being, it is essential a change in attitudes. In this study we adopted a qualitative investigation methodology based in direct observation of art therapy sessions and in the interviews to the titular teacher of the class and to the parents of the child in two different moments. For this work we have chosen the study of a unique case of a child with a selective mutism diagnosis, attending the 1st Cycle of a Basic School. The results show, in general lines, that art therapy performs, in fact, a preponderant, active and facilitator role in the transformation possibility and personal development in a specific case of a family with a child with selective mutism. The art therapy sessions were beneficial for the student as a way to attenuate the suffering and provide well-being.

Date of Award	20 Mar 2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	José Afonso Nunes Batista (Supervisor)