It has been five days since I posted my last blog- I know, Mr. Abrams, it's pretty sad. So here I am, home sick, blogging about some information I have just learned. First and foremost, the packet about writing formal oulines has helped me out a bunch and I feel a little bit more confident now with my outline. While I was catching up on some more reading in my book about Art therapy and some techniques that are used, I have a better understanding of art therapy. Jean Piaget, one of the most influencial developmental psychologists of all time, studied his own children to find out exactly how they problem solved at an early age. He developed a theory about intellectual development. Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational are the names of the four stages Jean came up with. Piaget believes that most teenagers have reached the formal operational stage. The formal operational stage basically means they are capable of abstract thinking. BUT! before this happens, a child needs to go through concrete operational, which usually happens around age 7 and during this stage, kids know how to place information into categories and order it but have a hard time placing that information into words or explanations. It is believed that around the age of eleven and continuing onto adolescense, children reach the formal operational stage. Unfortunately, some people do not reach this stage, even as adults. Art therapists need to know how to properly assess which stage their client is in and work it. If the client has not reached the formal operational stage, they will have a more difficult time with their drawings and may need to start off with more simple activities instead of the more complex, reflexive ones.