Special Education/GATE Resources
The Very Special Arts of Montana website can be found here. This website has information about VSA programs and artists and will soon have a resources page. The Kennedy Center's VSA page can be found here.
Some adaptation ideas in art for children that have special needs are:
Allow for children to be sitting comfortably. Some children may prefer to sit in a swing while doing their art- make it happen! Let your kids with attention deficit disorders stand if they need to. For kids with physical disabilities that affect how and where they sit, make sure they are seated comfortably and at a level where they can do the project.
Modify the equipment and medium of your project if needed by the student. For kids with fine motor difficulties, use larger brushes, pencils, markers- whatever the project requires. Velcro straps may benefit some students, as well.
Allow for extra time. If a child (that has special needs or not) needs more time for their project, allow them it. Some students can obsess on an unfinished project, making the rest of their day difficult.
Plan some group art activities- allow each student to use their strengths. Students with disabilities will get help with things they may not yet be able to do and kids without disabilities will gain some valuable skills while working with people unlike them.
Be sensitive to sensory and tactile needs and dislikes. This goes back to modifying the medium of a project- some children may love working with clay while others will hate it.
(Thanks to this article for the help!)
Some extension ideas in art for children that have special needs (those who may be called "gifted":
For any piece of art created, have students write a piece of literature (in a specific style- sonnet, short story, play, etc.) related to it.
For students that get an art concept quickly, challenge them to add different elements of art into their work.
If students finish other subjects' work early, have them work on an art project of their choosing relating. If they are up for it, challenge them to something absurd (using unusual methods or materials) relating to the work that is completed quickly.
When children finish an art assignment using one method, have them complete it again with a different method or medium (thanks Joelle for the idea!)
Allow students to explore art in any way that they choose- don't restrict them to specific guidelines.
Kids with special needs doing art. Retrieved November 17, 2014 from http://www.outreachmoldova.org/ORM/what-we-do/orm-programmes/education/orm-arts-and-crafts
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