February 25, 2026 Meeting Minutes - Creative Therapies, Monotropism
- PALS
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
PALS Meeting Minutes
February 25, 2026 9:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting using Zoom
Open Forum
Open Forum allows participants to share experiences, ask questions, and provide resources in a mutually supportive setting.
Creative and Active Therapies
Creative and active therapies for children with disabilities use art, music, dance/movement, drama, and writing to help them feel better, move their bodies, and think more clearly. These therapies give kids a way to express themselves without words, which can help them feel less anxious, get better at moving, and connect with others.
Creative and active therapies include but are not limited to:
Art Therapy: This includes drawing, painting, sculpting, and making collages to help kids express themselves and get better at using their hands. Adaptive tools like Easy Grip crayons or paint sponges are great for kids who have trouble with fine motor skills.
Yoga Therapy: This can enhance physical, emotional, and cognitive development. It improves motor skills, balance, and muscle tone, self-regulation, focus, and sensory processing through adapted poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation.
Music Therapy: Singing, writing songs, and playing instruments can help kids manage their feelings and get along better with others.
Dance/Movement Therapy: Using free or guided movement can help kids become more aware of their bodies, release their emotions, and improve their coordination.
Drama Therapy: Role-playing, puppetry, and theater can help kids explore their feelings, improve their social skills, and practice social situations in a safe place.
Sand Tray Therapy: Kids can build their own worlds with tiny figures, which is a safe way to express themselves, deal with their feelings, and tell stories.
Play Therapy: A specialized, non-verbal approach using play to address emotional, social, and behavioral challenges. It helps children express feelings, process trauma, and build social skills. Therapists adapt tools, such as sensory toys or adapted toys, to create a safe, supportive environment for communication and growth.
Writing Therapy: Journaling, poetry, and storytelling can help kids process their thoughts and feelings.
Therapeutic Riding: Focuses on improving balance, coordination, and motor skills through riding, often used for physical or occupational therapy.
Benefits for Children with Disabilities:
Non-verbal Communication: Kids can express themselves when words aren’t enough.
Sensory Engagement: Activities like working with clay or paint give kids a chance to feel things.
Skill Development: These therapies help kids get better at using their hands and eyes together.
Social Interaction: Group activities help kids learn to take turns, understand each other, and talk to each other.
Empowerment: Kids feel more in control and confident.
Visit our Resource Page for a variety of creative therapies in our area. If you are aware of a creative therapy in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and do not see it listed, please palsfcinfo@gmail.com so we can add it to the page.
Monotropism
You're probably familiar with terms like hyper-focused, intensely focused, and tunnel vision, but have you ever heard of monotropic focus? The Monotropism Theory is when someone tends to focus all their attention on just one thing at a time, sometimes missing out on other things. This way of thinking might be the main reason why some people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (AuADHD) seem hyper-focused or under-focused. When someone is super focused, it can seem like they’re in a tunnel, missing out on everything else. It can also lead to deep thoughts and amazing experiences, like being in a flow state. This intense focus can make it hard to switch attention, creating sensory overload through competing items; for instance a student is instructed to write notes on a teacher's lecture, talking points written on the board, multiple focal points can create a sensory sensitive situation impacting a person executive functioning. Intense focus can also lead to repeating the same things over and over, which is called stereotypies.
Monotropism Theory views this intense attention as a possible strength instead of a deficit. Instead of viewing this focus as restrictive, repeative, and presisdent difficulities, the Monotropism Theory see it as "channels of deep interest and differences in social communication and interaction".
The idea of monotropism has been around since 1992, thanks to Dinah Murray, who introduced it in a book. Jeanette Buirski is thought to have suggested the word. Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson, and Mike Lesser came up with the monotropism theory in the 1990s and first shared it in 2005. Lawson’s research on this idea became the basis for his PhD, “Single Attention and Associated Cognition in Autism,” and his book, “The Passionate Mind,” which came out in 2011.
Helen Edgar created an excellent document explaining Monotropism. Helen's work is a free community resource based on a webinar delivered by Nicola Reekie & Fergus Murray.
Additional Resources
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Next Meeting: March 25, 2026 9:30 a.m. Virtual Meeting using Zoom.
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