NAEAnews. “SPECIAL NEEDS,” June, 2003, Vol. 45 (3) p.20.

Minneapolis is a city that takes care of its convention goers when it rains (it did), snows (it did), or is cold (it was). The whole downtown and Convention Center are inter-connected by a system of indoor walkways. We were coatless and dry, but the intricate maze of walkways required map reading and direction-following skills.

This column will describe some of the “Exceptional Education” presentations that brought new materials, information, and strategies to Minneapolis. Several sessions conflicted with awards ceremonies, each other, or the Special Needs business meetings.

Susan Loesl, Adaptive Art Specialist/Art Therapist for the Milwaukee Public Schools, brought in materials used with her students. “Adapting the Art Experience for Students with Physical Disabilities,” offered suggestions for modifying the physical environment. Her adaptive materials and strategies ranged from tying string around scissors or markers pens and onto the wheelchair tray (to prevent them from falling on the floor), to a variety of handgrip and cutting devices that fit hands of different sizes and strengths. Loesl passed around drawing tools and paintbrushes to show how they could be adapted for students with weak handgrips. She stressed the need to encourage each child to make choices and suggested, “Find a tiny, little thing about this child that excites you. Try to learn a little bit of the child's likes, needs, and choices.” “Non-verbal children may seem less capable than they are, and they surprise us.”

“Walking the Walk, Understanding the Talk: Students with Mental Retardation in the Art Room,” presented by Beverly Levett Gerber, focused on learning problems that affect the way students with moderate to severe mental retardation follow directions. Cartoons and anecdotes were used to illustrate how a concrete interpretation of vocabulary words and directions can produce something other than was intended. Commonly used words that may cause confusion were highlighted because they use abstract concepts. It is easy to recognize that the “Pledge of Allegiance” is full of abstract concepts, but “family” and “furniture” also involve abstract concepts and may not be understood. Getting information from short term to long term memory can also be a problem. The presentation looked at ways to anticipate and better understand these learning difficulties.

Debbie Robinson offered a hands-on demonstration, “Create Homemade Adaptive Tools.” Participants in this session experienced several activities designed to simulate disabilities. Then Robinson and her colleague, Gary Carr, showed how materials, from biodegradable packing pellets to PVC plumbing supplies, could be tailored to fit the individual needs of students. Wooden drawer pulls and plastic jug handles made drawing and painting tools fit the student's needs and were just a few of their many suggestions and materials.

Kathryn Rulien-Bareis used “PowerPoint” to take her audience on a tour of her classroom. Rulien–Bareis showed the artwork of students in her inclusive program. “Teaching All Students.” showed students and the PVC pipe digereedoos they made for their Australia unit. Their painted tee-shirts were made for an Island Band theme. Either the materials or the painting brushes or sponges were adapted for the students. Rulien–Bareis used the Elmo camera to provide close camera shots of adapted materials and equipment.

Dennis L. Taylor's presentation, “Sam and Carla: Students with Disabilities,” focused on two students taught by his pre-service art education students. Sam and Carla brought a variety of behavioral and physical challenges to the art lessons. Taylor described the problems his art students encountered as well as their successes.

Sue Sherlock described “Collaborative Partnerships and Action Research Methods: A Special Needs Practicum” that provided an opportunity for art students to teach children with disabilities. Sherlock's students learned about IEP's and kept journals to document, assess, and reflect on their teaching experiences.

Jan Fedorenko, President-Elect, filled in for Barbara Suplee at the first of two Special Needs Issues Group Business meetings. (Suplee received an award at the Team East celebration. Congratulations!) Members approved a change of name, from “Special Needs Art Education” (SNAE) to “Special Needs.” The Special Needs By-laws encouraged much discussion and tapped the opinions and expertise of the group. Many suggestions were made and more time was needed so copies (with potential revisions) will go to the members before next year's meeting. MaryLou Dallem, Secretary, recorded approved revisions.

By next year, a web-site for Special Needs and Art Education will be set up at Southern Connecticut State University. More information about the web site and how to access it will be provided as soon as the site is up and running. The next column will bring some information about The Council for Exceptional Children Convention in Seattle. It began on the last day of the NAEA, Minneapolis Convention.

SED/Arts Organization   |   SED/Arts References   |   NAEA Special Needs Issues Group   |  CEC Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts