The effect of art education on students with disabilities

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Art plays a significant role in the educating students with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities have to sometimes deal with self esteem issues. Therefore a program called project partnership is used to teach art in environment unlike in a regular educational setting, this has helped the students improve their self-esteem.

VSA arts and RMC Research group piloted a study to determine an explicit link between learning outcomes for students with special needs and art based practices. The study was implemented in three sites each with its own group of subjects. An exploratory case study model with the same research protocol was used at each site. The protocol consisted of a two day visit where interviews were conducted with key personnel, teaching artists and administrators. Researchers also observed classes and recorded anecdotal notes of the art based practices in place, how they were being implemented and the context in which they were being implemented.

The first site visited was VSA arts Indiana (VSAI) in Indianapolis. During the two day site visit, researchers were unable to observe any school based activities but were able to observe the many community based programs. From these observations, interviews and a review of VSAI documents, researchers identified several promising programs where the effectiveness of art based practices can be linked to the learning outcomes of students with special needs. Researchers' results determined three outstanding elements in the VSAI model: services, strategies and rational.

Services are described as what VSAI does, or the programs. The school-based services include: artist in residence, team teaching, professional development, a 60-day diagnostic program, and “contractual services” which teaches mental health, art based curriculum and therapeutic riding. A number of community based programs are also outlined in the research. Urban Artisans is a vocational, life and art skill training for students with disabilities who are also at risk. Students age 16-22 are trained and given opportunities to create work with commissions secured by VSAI. Community classes are offered to children and adults of all ages and abilities. The Hospital Program provides art opportunities for seriously ill patients and the Mural Project works with various community and educational organizations to create indoor and outdoor murals.

Researchers identified three core strategies integral to VSAI. The first strategy is the development of an artist as a teacher and teacher as artist. The goal of this strategy is to create highly trained professionals, with multiple skill sets, by using a three tiered practice. Individuals receive training and mentoring at each level to become an Apprentice, a Teaching Artist and a Master Teaching Artist. The Master Teaching Artist includes the responsibilities of a Teaching Artist, with the added ability to conduct professional development and program evaluation. A similar relationship is developed in the students as artists as a learner and learner as artists. This ensures that all levels of students and professionals see themselves as learning and teaching throughout art activities.

The second strategy researchers identified, the concept of ...