The Application of Sensory Teaching Aids in Art Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

Background and Aim: The growing interest in art therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has highlighted the need for innovative approaches. This study explores the effects of integrating sensory materials—clay, straws, and sponges—into art therapy programs. It aims to develop teaching tools tailored to the sensory characteristics of ASD children in special elementary schools in Guangdong Province and assess their real-world effectiveness. Materials and Methods: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, the study recruited 30 children with ASD (aged 6–9 years) from three special elementary schools in Guangdong Province and 10 art-therapy practitioners for fieldwork, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. A three-stage teaching-aid system was co-designed with these practitioners and then evaluated by the same 10 experts using the 10-item System Usability Scale (SUS) administered immediately after a five-month intervention. Results: SUS assessments yielded a mean value of 72.05, reflecting high satisfaction with the tools. A three-stage progressive sensory teaching aid system effectively promoted neurobehavioral development in children with ASD.  Conclusion: This study confirms that a three-stage, clay–straw–sponge teaching-aid system significantly strengthens fine-motor control, hand–eye coordination, and sustained attention in 6- to 9-year-old children with ASD in Guangdong’s special elementary schools. The empirically derived mean SUS score of 72.05 demonstrates that educators and therapists regard the tools as highly usable in authentic classroom settings. These findings validate the intervention’s practical value and offer replicable guidance for integrating sensory materials into art-therapy curricula for children with ASD.