Submit a Manuscript to the Journal
International Journal of Art Therapy
For a Special Issue on
Art Therapy with People with Learning Disabilities
Manuscript deadline
Special Issue Editor(s)
Nicki Power,
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
[email protected]
Dr Simon Hackett,
Newcastle University, UK
[email protected]
Dr Rochele Royster,
Syracuse University, NY, USA
[email protected]
Dr Emma Gentle,
Western Sydney University
[email protected]
Art Therapy with People with Learning Disabilities
The International Journal of Art Therapy invites contributions for a special issue marking ten years since the publication of the UK Art Therapy Practice-Based Guidelines for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities (Hackett, et al., 2017). Since then, both practice and research have continued to evolve in response to urgent challenges, such as rising health inequalities, shifting models of care, global anti-discrimination movements and growing calls for socially just approaches.
This special issue takes inspiration from the chapter “Disrupting Narratives: The Role of Diverse Voices in Co-Creating Change in Art Therapy” (Power & Hackett, 2025), which called for a re-examination of art therapy practice through the lenses of justice, agency, advocacy, and connection. Rooted in the lived realities of people with learning disabilities, the chapter argued for critical reflection on power, privilege, language, and positionality - and for the active inclusion of people with learning disabilities as collaborators, not as passive recipients.
A decade on from the Practice Guidelines, we ask: what has changed? How are art therapists today challenging exclusionary practices and developing new models of care that reflect the complex identities, strengths, and needs of people with learning disabilities? How can we build on the foundation of evidence and practice to ensure art therapy is accessible, impactful, and relevant across global contexts?
This special issue will showcase work that disrupts traditional narratives and offers new insights into what inclusive, co-produced, and culturally responsive art therapy looks like now, and in the future.
References:
Hackett, S., Ashby, E., Parker, K., Goody, S., & Power, N. (2017). UK art therapy practice-based guidelines for children and adults with learning disabilities. International Journal of Art Therapy, 22(2), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2017.1319870
Power, N. & Hackett, S. (2025) Art Therapy with People with Learning Disabilities: Authentic Voices in Clinical Practice and Research, London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003350736
Submission Instructions
We invite submissions that explore the use of art therapy to support the psychosocial, emotional, and relational needs of people with learning disabilities, across diverse contexts and communities. We welcome original, ethical, and evidence-informed contributions that centre participant perspectives, amplify underrepresented voices, and explore inclusive, reflective, and socially just practices.
Submissions may take the form of research articles, case studies, theoretical papers, creative pieces, or practice reflections. Co-authored work with people with lived experience is strongly encouraged, as are contributions that reflect critically on power, positionality, and intersectionality.
Suggested themes include (but are not limited to):
- Theoretical frameworks and intervention development
- Practice aligned with the Art Therapy and Learning Disability Practice-based Guidelines (Hackett, et al., 2017)
- Art therapy in hospital and medicalised settings
- Art therapy in community spaces
- Practice which explores how community-based art therapy approaches are reshaping traditional clinical environments, or how art therapy moves between medical and community settings
- Work with children, families, and work with older adults with learning disabilities
- Adaptations to context (e.g. outdoors, museums, digital platforms)
- Art therapy for population health and public mental health
- Art therapy in supervision, team support, and reflective practice
- Intersectional, anti-oppressive practice which reimagines therapeutic relationships, power dynamics, and healing practices across diverse settings
- Ethical dilemmas and moral complexity in practice
- Inclusive approaches to language, communication, and identity
All authors will be asked to include (via a provided template):
- A brief positionality statement reflecting on identity and context
- A TiDiER description of any intervention or model of practice (Power, et al., 2023)
While optional, we encourage submission of a video abstract and/or easy-read summary to partner the lay summary where possible, this is to increase accessibility and impact.
Note: When submitting your paper to ScholarOne, please select the "Special Issue Title: Art Therapy with People with Learning Disabilities”
The deadline for mentorship is 22/11/2026 by emailing your draft article to the Lead Editor: Nicki Power
Deadlines for submissions: 1/03/2027 - 31/03/2027
Expected publication date: 01/03/2028
References:
Hackett, S., Ashby, E., Parker, K., Goody, S., & Power, N. (2017). UK art therapy practice-based guidelines for children and adults with learning disabilities. International Journal of Art Therapy, 22(2), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2017.1319870
Power, N., Harrison, T., Hackett, S., & Carr, C. (2023). Art therapy as a treatment for adults with learning disabilities who are experiencing mental distress: A configurative systematic review with narrative synthesis. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 86, 102088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2023.102088