| Millions of people all over the world are troubled with | | | | very gradual and positive change. |
| many various mental issues and, for some of these | | | | Not only does origami help with attention disorders, it |
| problems, origami has been found to be a very | | | | has been used in the improvement of language |
| helpful therapeutic tool. As far back as, at least | | | | development as well. It has been found to be |
| recorded, 1914, origami has been used to help people | | | | particularly strong in improving sequencing skills |
| with various problems ranging from being withdrawn | | | | because certain folds have to be done in a certain |
| to lack of attention. | | | | order otherwise the piece will not be correct. |
| In 1914, Charles Sydney Gibbes of the UK was | | | | Lynda Artusio, from Maryland in the USA is a clinical |
| tutoring a young boy who was terribly withdrawn | | | | nurse in an adult detention center and she works |
| and sickly all the time. The boy never spoke and as a | | | | with clinically disturbed and troubled people. She has |
| way to teach something they began to try to make | | | | found the use of origami to be especially helpful with |
| a paper hat. The first attempt failed but they made a | | | | patients who suffer from anxious disorders. She has |
| paper box together and through the time spent | | | | been using origami as a treatment for them, with |
| making the origami boxes and hats, the boy began | | | | success, since 2002. |
| to speak and slowly recover. This is one of the | | | | Origami is a great way to help people who have |
| earliest known examples of origami used as a | | | | attention disorders, people who have problems |
| therapeutic tool. | | | | following directions or listening carefully. It has also |
| In 2004, Julie Medhurst, also from the UK, was | | | | been used to help people with relationship issues, |
| working with children who difficulties ranged from | | | | especially in family counseling and it is an effective |
| ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Emotional Difficulties and | | | | form of therapy for people recently injured who |
| Dyslexia using origami. Over time she noticed gradual | | | | need to strengthen their fingers and hands again. |
| changes in the children's behavior towards something | | | | It's always best to start with something very simple |
| of a more normal lifestyle and a cessation, in various | | | | and familiar, such as a plane or a fish. Once a student |
| degrees, of their symptoms. | | | | or patient has mastered this form, moving to |
| The general concentration and attention to detail | | | | something a bit more involved takes the therapy to |
| needed in order to create origami is especially helpful | | | | another level where the patient wants to proceed |
| to children suffering from attention deficit disorders | | | | and yearns to be successful at their creations. It's |
| such as ADHD and ADD. Because they are forced to | | | | also a great way for them to express themselves |
| pay attention to something as specific as a fold it | | | | especially if vocalizing their problems of fears is a |
| helps them focus better on normal everyday | | | | problem. |
| activates and over time, subject tend to show a | | | | |