Arts Education Benefits Autistic Spectrum Disorder

[aebasd-blog]

I cannot draw well on any unlined or minimally lined material, as my art skills belong more in the realm of playing and singing music. Thankfully, my highly logical Autistic mind does much infinitely better at drawing on graph paper.

[All art is mine and mine alone.]

[aebasd-blog]

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Arts Education

In this day and age, sometimes it seems as though no matter where one goes, it is impossible to avoid some form of the word “Autism.” In multiplayer online video games, any player who does or say something out of the ordinary may automatically hear or read “Autistic” being thrown around like an insult. Organizations related to Autism are everywhere, displayed on billboards and advertisements. Even in educational institutions, from public to private, primary to post-secondary, it seems like more individuals are diagnosed with the disorder every year. What is one of the best ways to educate these individuals? 

With the arts and humanities! And that is what this blog is all about!

Personal Background: My name is Ryan, and I have high functioning Autism, or what was formerly referred to as Asperger’s. I may be high functioning and have a high IQ, but I still encounter problems communicating and socializing from time to time each day. My main creative skills are singing and performing music, and writing fiction. I do dabble in drawing, but due to my logical nature, I’m only good at putting pencil to graph paper and utilizing the grids and geometry to my advantage. I am passionate about the arts and humanities thanks to my experiences in band and marching band from the 5th through 12th grades.

Why I am doing this: I am currently in a college English class (Spring of 2019), and this was my research topic for the semester. I originally began with researching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM (STEM + Arts), how each can be used to educate students on the Autism Spectrum, and which is better. Unfortunately, there’s so little research into either area as of right now; STEM and STEAM are just too new. So I decided to focus on arts and how they can help educate students on the spectrum. 

And how exactly do I plan on accomplishing this? 

Goals of this Blog: Post interesting research related to art education. Post music, drama, and art created by diverse individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to show what we are capable of. For example, I will post my graph paper drawings I mentioned above.

I hope everyone interested enjoys what I have to offer in the future!