The project aimed to develop advanced professional skills and competences for at least 15 professionals, including young people under 30, from three European countries, enabling them to effectively apply expressive art-based intervention methods for neurodivergent (ND) young people. A second objective was to re-evaluate and adapt existing approaches, strategies and educational methods in expressive art therapy, tailoring them to the specific needs of ND youth in order to support communication, emotional expression, personal development and self-confidence. The project also aimed to improve social engagement, emotional well-being and self-esteem of at least 21 young people with NDs through pilot activities testing and validating the intervention model in real-life contexts. Finally, the project aimed to develop a comprehensive Electronic Guide (eGuide) providing practical tools and methodologies to support professionals and organisations in implementing expressive art-based interventions in diverse settings.
The project was developed in response to the limited access of neurodivergent young people (NDs) to inclusive educational, social and cultural activities, as well as the lack of structured, evidence-based intervention methods adapted to their needs. In particular, there is a gap in the use of expressive arts- based therapeutic approaches (such as visual arts, puppet theater, movement, music and drama) as structured tools to support emotional expression, communication and social interaction. Existing practices are often fragmented and non systematic, while professionals working with ND youth have limited access to specialised training in these methods. The project also addressed the need to strengthen the link between research, practice and policy by developing validated and transferable tools applicable in real-life contexts. A needs analysis involving 94 respondents from Romania, Italy, Austria and other European countries, with a diverse professional profile (youth workers, teachers, psychologists, therapists, educators and researchers working with ND youth) confirmed gaps in professional competences, lack of practical resources, and the need for innovative approaches supporting inclusion and well-being of ND young people.