تبیین تلاقی هنر و معلولیت در مواجهه با افراد طیف اتیسم

در چند سال اخیر، اختلال طیف اتیسم با دامنه گسترده ای از نابهنجاری های رفتاری، شناختی و عصبی به عنوان یک موضوع اجتماعی و پزشکی در فضای مطالعاتی و انتقادی معلولیت مورد توجه قرار گرفته است. یکی از شاخه های اصلی این مطالعات موضوع تلاقی هنر و معلولیت است که در دو منظر متمایز قابل بررسی است: هنردرمانی و هنر معلولیت. این مقاله با استفاده از روش توصیفی- تحلیلی و گردآوری داده ها از طریق اسناد و منابع مکتوب صورت گرفته است. با تاکید بر مفهوم تنوع عصبی -که اختلالات عصبی را نه به عنوان اختلال که به مثابه تنوع در فهم انسان مطرح می کند-  به دنبال چگونگی تبیین این دو چارچوب هنری و تفاوت های آن ها در مواجهه با افراد طیف اتیسم است و به این پرسش کلیدی پاسخ می دهد که چگونه هنر معلولیت می تواند مرزبندی های خلق شده توسط هنردرمانی از جمله: دیگری بودن، سلسله مراتب قدرت، تواناسالاری و ناتوان انگاری را از میان بردارد؟ نتایج به دست آمده نشان می دهد: هنر معلولیت با عاملیت قرار دادن شخص معلول به عنوان هنرمند؛ قوت، هویت و توانمندی های او را مطرح می کند. بدین ترتیب با از بین بردن مرزبندی ها، این هنرمند، آثار و توانایی هایش از سوی جامعه هنری به منزله هنر رسمی پذیرفته شده، در گالری ها، نمایشگاه ها و موزه ها و ... به نمایش درمی آید و حتی در مواردی با عنوان پیشگام سبک های هنری شناخته می شود. این نوع برداشت از هنر در مقابل هنردرمانی قرار می گیرد که به صورت سیستماتیک و اغلب در مراکز درمانی انجام می شود، هنر را وسیله ای برای بهبود و توانبخشی می داند، شخص معلول را به عنوان دیگری قلمداد کرده، پیوند او با درمانگر را بر اساس روابط قدرت شکل می دهد.

explaining the intersection of art and disability in dealing with people on the autism spectrum

in the field of medical literature, autism was first conceptualized by swiss psychiatrist eugen bleuler as a sign of childhood schizophrenia. leo kanner, an american-austrian psychiatrist, described this concept as a distinct disorder in 1943. during the 1960s and 1970s, research on this new syndrome became increasingly prevalent, but there was still much confusion surrounding it. only a few individuals, even those working in the medical field, were aware of this condition, and only a handful of cases of autism had been documented. some researchers and physicians still interpreted it as a form of childhood schizophrenia, while others considered the characteristics of autism to be related to brain dysfunction, mental retardation, or child psychopathology.in the 1980s, systematic research on autism increased, and researchers introduced biological factors such as deficits in theory of mind and mirror neurons as the primary causes of this abnormality. autism was then officially classified as a distinct and diagnosable disorder within the wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions in the dsm-iii. it was separated from childhood schizophrenia, and the term &asperger’s syndrome& became commonly used. however, it was still thought to be a very rare occurrence.in the 1990s, more precise assessment criteria for this abnormality were formulated in the dsm-iv, and autism was described as a lifelong condition (lifetime) in individuals, classified under mental disorder number 299, and characterized by the triad of symptoms: weak social interaction, communication deficits (both verbal and non-verbal), and the presence of repetitive, stereotyped, and restricted behavioral patterns. awareness of autism increased during the last two decades of the twentieth century. this trend grew to the point where autism became the most rapidly spreading among all developmental disabilities worldwide and turned into a global public health concern. so much so that in the dsm-5 (2013), the triad of autism symptoms was consolidated into two categories: &communication-social disorders and restricted, repetitive behaviors,& asperger’s syndrome was removed from the manual, and autism was included as a wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions, officially referred to as &autism spectrum disorder.this definition of autism fits within the medical mode of disability. in this model, autism is considered a global neurocognitive disorder with consistent biological foundations, characterized by core symptoms and features (lack of eye contact, repetitive movements, etc.) based on deviations from normal and normative behavior. by officially recognizing autism as a new category of &developmental disabilities,& a new institutional matrix was formed, comprising social therapy, specialized education, and intervention programs. social institutions, particularly psychiatry and psychology, played a role in shaping the hegemonic discourse that labels autism primarily as a deficiency, disorder, and illness, which will ultimately be identified and treated through continuous efforts by scientific experts. however, the approach to these individuals was not that of treating an illness but rather leaned towards &rehabilitation,& emphasizing empowerment and capacity-building. thus, various interventions were deemed necessary for two purposes: reducing autism symptoms and improving essential communication skills, social skills, and behavioral functioning. art therapy is one of these interventions.on the opposite pole of the medical model is the social model of disability, which is created by disabled individuals themselves and looks at the barriers created by society in terms of the full participation of disabled individuals in everyday life. according to this model, disability is not only located in the body but is created by social and material conditions that render various minds and bodies &disabled& in terms of full participation. with this model, autism can be seen as a personal, family, and social experience. it also acknowledges autistic individuals as having emotions, feelings, and social relationships that are influenced by the cultural values of the societies they live in. in this way, the individual is viewed as disabled by societal shortcomings, and instead of focusing solely on autism as an illness, it examines the individual as a human, social, and cultural phenomenon. therefore, it not only seeks to amend and treat the person but also employs various methods, including art in addressing the definitions of autism within the medical model in expressing their identity.in recent years, autism spectrum disorder has gained attention as a social and medical issue within the realms of scholarly and critical studies on disability. one of the primary branches of these studies focuses on the intersection of art and disability, which can be examined through two distinct perspectives: art therapy and disability arts.this article explores the complex intersection between art, rehabilitation, and disability, as well as how art interacts with disability from the perspectives of both the medical and social models. when we talk about intersection, we are referring to a discourse that relates an individual’s life, artistic practices, and power relationships. this form of intersection and relationship shapes ideas about what disability is and how it should be addressed. by juxtaposing art therapy alongside the principles of neurodiversity and disability art, the differences between them and their approaches to individuals within the autism spectrum become evident.based on this, the authors aim to move away from art therapy and the medical model, considering the social model to answer the following questions: how can disability art break down boundaries such as othering, power imbalances between the therapist and the client, and ableism perpetuated by art therapy? additionally, how does art respond to the repetitive behaviors and stereotypies considered as core symptoms of individuals within the autism spectrum?this article employs a descriptive-analytical approach to analyze the concepts presented in critical disability studies and