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Poetry as the Hidden Voice: Adults with Developmental Disabilities Speak Out

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Journal of Poetry Therapy

Abstract

The majority of people with developmental disabilities have difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings in traditional ways. This article describes how a group of adults with autism, mental retardation, and other disabilities, have accessed a means of communication and formed a bridge to the community through poetry.

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The poems included in this article are part of a forthcoming collection of poems entitled Roses Grow from the Ground Up

Susan L. Davis is a poet and holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Director of Arts and Public Relations as well as the founder of the poetry program at the Enrichment Center, a day program for adults with developmental disabilities

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Davis, S.L. Poetry as the Hidden Voice: Adults with Developmental Disabilities Speak Out. J Poetry Ther 9, 143–148 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391478

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391478

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