This study aimed to understand the meaning and essence of the experiences of art therapists who
treated children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Six art therapists were selected for this
study, and data were collected through 1:1 in-depth interviews from July 2015 to June 2016. The collected
data were analyzed using, among phenomenological qualitative research methods, Giorgi's(1985/2004)
transcendental or psychological approach to phenomenology focusing on the vivid descriptions of
participants' experiences. As a result, we extracted 150 semantic units, integrated and categorized them, and
gained 30 sub-topics and nine main topics. The main topics about the experiences of art therapists who
treated children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders were “Embarrassment and fear at the
beginning of the treatment,” “Feeling incapable due to slow change,” “Feeling sorry about parents' neglect
but their behavior is understandable at the same time,” “Being thankful about my situation,” “Making
various efforts,” “Eventually, it's a fight against me,” “Treating children with the mind of a mother,”
“Feeling satisfied and happy even with small growth,” and “I am an attractive art therapist!”