WHY ART?

ABOUT ELIJAH PLACE

Elijah Place is a Vancouver based program that provides caring, innovative, inclusive group based activities for children and youth with special needs and their families/caregivers.
Our goal is to have fun while developing social and creative experience.

Our purpose is to offer all children the opportunity to enjoy recreational activities with peers. Arts, athletics, exploring, adventuring! Through collaborative efforts with local support groups, initiatives and businesses we offer an experience to be remembered as our little children develop into adulthood.

Through these activities we aim to help our children understand the world around them.

BUILDING COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

Elijah Place hopes to supplement family care by providing fun activities and adventures for children to enjoy. In our supportive environment we aim to help our children develop into a better version of themselves.

WORKING TOGETHER

We believe social experience is the key to developing learned behaviors. By engaging on their own terms with a common activity amongst peers our children can develop positive mental / physical connections that are valuable in their development. Even with external support for your children's specific needs, it can still be overwhelming and lonely to navigate these challenges without a supportive community. We're here to offer programs that support families needs for recreational activities.

Art has been shown to be beneficial for many people; not just people with disabilities. However, it offers a unique perspective and opportunity for those with disabilities to express themselves creatively and in a different way.

Art can be an effective way to communicate. Neurological differences in the brain’s wiring of persons with disabilities can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading and writing as well as advanced skills of organization, time management and memory. Art therapy can function as psychotherapy exploring options for the mind and serve as a means to communicate thoughts and feeling that cannot be conveyed verbally. (Source: Art of Autism)

In particular, those on the autism spectrum can benefit from creating art. There have been numerous studies done and art therapy is proving to be extremely beneficial, especially when introduced while these children are young. For more information, a good starting place is here, at the Art of Autism institution.

Disclaimer: Elijah Place uses Art as a creative expression, and at this moment is not a certified “Art Therapy” location. Elijah Place uses art as a way for children with special needs to express themselves; based on the proven benefits of art therapy.