PERSONAL NARRATIVE
For the past four years, my son has visited a child psychiatrist. I
have watched the doctors put him on six different medications
during this time, hoping it would help him—from Focalin to
Adderall to Abilify.
For the past four years, my son has visited a child
psychiatrist. I have watched the doctors put him on
six different medications during this time, hoping it
would help him—from Focalin, to Adderall, to Abili-
fy. The worst of three, Abilify, led to daily meltdowns
that left me being punched in the gut, kicked in the
shins, and bitten on the arms. I dealt with a child who
would leave me in the store and lead me on a chase
that left me in tears. Timeouts and punishment didn’t
work. I was dealing with a green-eyed monster, and
it was all thanks to a medication that was supposed
to help him and not make him worse. Desperate for
help, I reached out to the doctor who placed him
back on the Adderall, but still I face a hyper child.
With the medications wearing off so quickly, I am left
dealing with a child bouncing off the walls. So where
do you turn when medications aren’t working? Do
you watch their diet? Do you do turn to home reme-
dies? These are the questions I continually asked my-
self until I found another method—art.
Having struggled with ADHD and high-functioning
autism myself as a child, I found solace in art, which
proved to be the exact therapy that I needed. Armed
with canvas boards and paints, I sat my hyperactive
son down and handed him a paintbrush. At first he
studied it before dipping it into a dark blue color and
stroking it across the canvas. When he giggled and
aimed the brush at me threatening to flick paint, I
immediately directed him back to the canvas and en-
couraged him to flick the paint there instead. Soon I
saw an array of colors splattered across the canvas,
and I was amazed. From that moment on my son
became focused on art. He pleaded for sketchbooks
and colored pencils—begged me for more canvas
and paints. He had me watch as he used his fingers
instead of the brushes, thus giving it a whole new
look.
It’s been almost four months since we began art
therapy and my son and I are still painting together.
We are still creating works of art that are hung across
the walls. Recently the local art association asked
both of us to host our own art exhibit, and it is some-
thing that has motivated my son even more. Though
there are still the occasional meltdowns when Mom-
my says, “No, you can’t have that toy,” there are days
when I sit and watch him express himself through
painting and, recently, sculpting. Art therapy has
proven to the be the exact method that I needed to
keep my son calm, and though we have those mo-
ments of outbursts and not listening, we also have
those bonding moments of self-expression that have
made our relationship stronger than it’s ever been.
Destiny Eve Pifer is a journalist who currently writes
for her hometown newspaper The Punxsutawney
Spirit. She has her own monthly column called
Mapping My Destiny, in which she writes about her
adventures as a mother. Her work has appeared in
numerous magazines and anthologies.
It’s been almost four months since we began art therapy and
my son and I are still painting together. We are still creating
works of art that are hung across the walls. Recently the local art
association asked both of us to host our own art exhibit,
and it is something that has motivated my son even more.
48 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 65