THE ANTONINUS JOURNAL

Abstract

There is only a handful of research conducted on autism in Asia, as well as on the effectiveness of art as therapy for children and adolescents with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the scope and focus of current peer-reviewed research studies conducted on art as therapy for children and adolescents with ASD in Asia. The electronic databases of Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) were used for scoping and searching the literature wherein five articles that met the eligibility criteria were included in the review and analyzed for topics and research areas. Two of the studies were conducted in Indonesia, two in Iraq, and one in China, using qualitative and quantitative research designs. All of these studies explored different styles of visual art as therapy, namely coloring, cutting, drawing, painting, sculpting, collage making, handcrafting, picture books and game design. The review identified knowledge gaps and research needs to guide future research on art as therapy for children and adolescents with ASD, to address the needs of these children and adolescents and their families living in Asia.