How to Special Ed Students Mixed With General Ed in Art Classroom

Once y'all are released into your art room, yous are in charge of the growth and learning of every student with whom you lot piece of work. This tin exist daunting, especially if y'all have little to no background in special education.

Unfortunately, this is a reality for most fine art teachers. Whether you lot teach a few courses or every student in the school, it tin be tricky to keep track of and implement all of those IEPs!

Today, y'all are in luck. We are going to walk through the basics of inclusive education in the art room. We'll go through the laws and ideas you need to know to be able to address the needs of all your educatee artists.

To delve into this of import topic, I reached out to Jenna Gabriel, the Manager of Special Education at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Together, we outline the big ideas behind inclusive education as well every bit how they specifically chronicle to art education and provide you with resources to support you in this work.

Here are three tips to aid you empathise inclusion in the fine art room.

1. Make sure you accept a basic understanding of special education laws.

To brainstorm, I asked Jenna to outline the special didactics laws and how they impact art teachers. Here is what she shared with me. (Italics denote text contributed past Jenna.)

4 federal laws intersect to support educational access for students with disabilities. Two of these address discrimination. The other ii address education specifically.

Laws 1 and two: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Department 504 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Department 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Deed of 1990 are ceremonious rights laws. These laws are intended to prevent bigotry on the basis of disability in all walks of life—which means they employ in our schools, though the laws themselves are not education-specific.

These laws prohibit discrimination confronting individuals with disabilities who require support from the physical, programmatic, or communication environment in order to access activities provided past the school and the well-rounded teaching to which students are entitled. This includes access to the general education curriculum.

These laws define inability quite broadly to ensure students with disabilities receive the full protection of the law. Because this definition of inability is broader than that in the Individuals with Disabilities Instruction Act (Idea, described in total beneath), students with disabilities who do non receive special education services on an IEP plan may still receive appropriate accommodations nether a 504 plan. Regardless of any accommodations put in place past the school on a 504 or IEP plan, the rights of any student with a disability to access the educational environs free from bigotry are still protected under these laws.

Information technology'south of import to note, though, that these two laws do non provide dedicated financial support to schools for implementation, and funds schools receive under the Individuals with Disabilities Teaching Human activity (IDEA) can only be used to serve students with IEPs.

Law iii: ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)

The Every Student Succeeds Human activity (ESSA) is the primary federal instruction constabulary. It provides funds to us to back up educational accomplishment for all students in G-12 public pedagogy. Signed into law by President Obama in 2015, ESSA touches on a few interesting aspects that bear on students with disabilities in the arts.

Offset, ESSA offers a definition of "well-rounded education" that is extraordinarily arts-friendly. By acknowledging all students must have admission to a well-rounded education, the definition of which includes the arts, the police affirms the right of students with disabilities to participate in arts learning, just as their typically developing peers practice. Information technology does non get and so far equally to crave arts education, (that's upwardly to the states!) only information technology does back up the claim that if a country includes the arts in their plan to provide a well-rounded teaching to all students, students with disabilities have an equal right to receive that instruction.

ESSA also acknowledges the importance of adequately prepared teachers, which is important in this work, as we know students with disabilities crave specialized instruction and supports. For art teachers who often have students with disabilities included in their classrooms, this preparation is critical to providing equal access to meaningful arts engagement. Yet, statistics that have remained disproportionately static over the last thirty years show us that less than 25% of practicing art teachers received fifty-fifty one course in special education while in college. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds don't experience equipped to meaningfully engage their students with disabilities in fine art pedagogy.

Law 4: IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Human action)

The Individuals with Disabilities Pedagogy Human action is the federal law that about specifically addresses the needs of students with disabilities. This law outlines 13 disability categories; a educatee must be diagnosed with one of these in order to receive services, and the disability must affect a student'south educational performance. This is a primal difference between the definition of disability under Thought and the broader definition nether ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. Under Thought, especially designed instruction is mandated. This includes adaptations to methodology and content that far exceed accommodations for access a student would receive on a 504 plan. Information technology also calls on educators to provide that individualized instruction in the least restrictive environs—which the law tells united states of america is alongside a students' nondisabled peers to the maximum extent advisable.

If yous are looking for some streamlined information well-nigh IDEA, check out the handy download below. It will take you through the vi core tenets and what they hateful for you and your students in the fine art room.

Download Now!

Because we know art teachers meet most students in a school, including those with significant learning needs, the xxx-year trends in art teacher preparedness Jenna describes are alarming. Nosotros must piece of work to alter this! It's why I believe and then passionately in the importance of supporting arts teachers in developing these skills.

ane. Take a course.

If y'all're looking for an opportunity to abound your foundational cognition and connect with other fine art teachers, consider one of AOE's courses. Autism and Art and Reaching All Artists Through Differentiation are ii peachy choices. These courses will help you develop strategies and techniques for meeting the needs of all learners in the fine art room.

2. Attend in-person professional development specifically designed to support yous in developing these skills—and connect with others from beyond the country while yous're at it!

The Kennedy Center's annual VSA Intersections: Arts and Special Education Conference brings together educators, administrators, researchers and educational activity artists to learn, network, and develop strategies that support students with disabilities learning in and through the arts. Through a blend of experiential demonstrations, plenary sessions, artmaking opportunities, and lectures, this exciting event provides attendees with evidence-based strategies they can implement in classrooms immediately! Attendees are eligible to receive certificates of professional development or graduate form credit, and the Kennedy Center staff provides boosted resources to support you in making the example to your assistants to support your attendance.

3. Seek out other PD that specifically addresses your knowledge gaps.

• Teaching Adaptive Fine art PRO Learning Pack
• Setting Upwardly an Autism-Friendly Classroom PRO Learning Pack
• four Concrete Means to Modify Art Projects for Students with Special Needs
• How to Work with Students with Special Needs in a Selection-Based Space

• VSA Webinars
  The Kennedy Middle offers free webinars where experts in the field tackle topics relevant to the arts and special education. In addition to opportunities to engage alive with presenters, all webinars are archived and bachelor for viewing at your convenience.
• VSA Resources for Educators and Parents
  Here you lot can check out lesson plans, tip sheets, white papers, and other academic publications that build chapters in the arts and special education field

2. Larn the deviation between differentiation, accommodations, and modifications.

Subsequently Jenna explained the legal side of things, I asked her to talk about different ways fine art teachers can piece of work with students with special needs. She told me, to beginning, it was important to lay out the differences between differentiation, accommodations, and modifications.

According to Jenna, differentiation in the art room is key when we look at meeting the needs of all learners. She describes differentiated instruction as a proactive arroyo to lesson pattern that responds to students' varying interests, readiness levels, and learning styles. For about students in a room, this flexible and responsive approach will be plenty to appoint students in instruction.

We know, though, some students volition crave additional supports or adapted approaches. These, Jenna shared, are called adaptations. Adaptations include both modifications and accommodations. Although we often utilize these terms interchangeably, they are actually unlike! I asked Jenna to provide an outline of these differences, and examples of how they might look in an art room.

Hither is what she shared with me. (Italics denote text contributed by Jenna to this piece.)

Accommodations

Accommodations are adaptations we make to the educational environment that allow students with disabilities to participate in the aforementioned activeness as their peers. They tin include classroom setup, tools, and materials—annihilation that works to remove a bulwark to participation in the activity.

For Example:

1. A specialized grip to make cutting newspaper easier, or an adapted grip for a paintbrush.
   Adaptive tools are often low-to-no toll or can be made yourself—like inexpensive adaptive scissors or pushing a lawn tennis brawl onto a paintbrush and then a educatee with fine motor deficits tin can hold his paintbrush. For many students, these tools may exist all that a student needs in guild to accept part in an fine art activity such as collage or painting exactly every bit you designed it.
2. A pair of gloves or alternating material during a dirt unit
   Some students struggle to participate in certain art activities because of sensory aversions to the experience of materials like clay. Offering students a pair of gloves, allowing them to manipulate dirt inside a plastic bag, or providing alternate material like Model Magic, might be plenty for that educatee to participate fully in a sculpture lesson in which your primary learning goal is near dirt equally a medium.

Modifications

Students with more significant needs might need a modification—an adaptation to teaching or content that, unlike with an adaptation, necessitates modifying the activity itself.

For Example:

1. Allowing a student to collage instead of paint.
   Permit'due south say your lesson asks students to imagine a symbol and paint it. In that assignment are myriad circuitous cognitive skills–flexible thinking, planning, translating an idea into a design—in improver to the artistic skills related to paint as a medium. For some students, the cognitive leap of understanding what a symbol is and how to communicate it may be too challenging, for others the challenge may lie in the cognitive act of imagining something new and communicating it. Collage can offering students struggling with this office of the process a visual vocabulary to draw from, reducing the complexity of the assignment while nevertheless supporting participation in the artistic process.
   
2. Allowing a student to demonstrate individual clay sculpting skills instead of combining skills in an intricate sculpture.
   An intricate sculpture assignment also combines multiple skills: maybe you've asked students to sideslip and score to construct a free-continuing structure or to whorl clay to create a vase or pencil holder. For students notwithstanding struggling with foundational skills every bit their peers progress into complex sculpting, you might offer the alternating activity of demonstrating the individual skill—for example, creating a uncomplicated coil of dirt. In both of the to a higher place examples, it's of import to note the modified activity is still tied to the learning goal of the lesson: students doing collage are still utilizing visual symbols in their artwork, and students demonstrating foundational clay skills are still demonstrating their understanding of clay as an artistic medium. For situations in which you might consider offering an alternating activity, it's of import the proposed activity remain aligned to the learning goal you're exploring with the residual of the class. This helps promote inclusion and full participation, even when the activity has been significantly modified.

three. Concentrate on what is well-nigh important.

Information technology's of import to keep the focus on your learning objectives. Make up one's mind exactly what y'all want your students to learn from each lesson so modify accordingly.

For example, consider a lesson where you're asking students to create coiled creatures. Depending on the target learning objective, your modifications may vary.

Jenna explains, "If the virtually important content is related to skill in the medium, a student who does non create a animal from their coiled dirt has notwithstanding worked toward your learning objectives. They have participated in a pottery lesson alongside their peers." In this instance, a student could use coils to build a simple cylinder.

Notwithstanding, if the objective is to employ clay to depict an animal, you lot tin can modify your instructional arroyo by providing scaffolds that will permit a student to participate. In this case, Jenna suggests yous might provide a pre-assembled coiled base or a selection of pre-made animal features a student could choose from to assemble their sculpture.

In each of these instances, you've made meaning modifications but ensured the educatee is still engaging with the same content.

Recollect, the goal is inclusion. Your students with disabilities may need some adaptations or supports, simply they should always feel like they are a part of the class!

And then what does inclusion actually hateful for art teachers? Hither are 4 ways to support inclusion in the art room.

As you've probably already gathered, Jenna is a wealth of information when information technology comes to this topic. Hither are iv more insights to keep in heed as yous support students with disabilities in your classroom.

1. Consider the physical space.

Students with disabilities who come to your fine art room should be sitting amongst their peers! Still, don't forget to consider their IEP requirements for preferential seating or limited distractions.

Furthermore, if a student attends fine art with a teacher's aide and tin work somewhat independently, let them! Suggest the adjutant circulates the classroom or makes modifications to materials rather than work with one kid in isolation. Inclusive settings promote meaningful social relationships and positive behavioral outcomes as much as academic ones.

2. Recognize your students as individuals.

It's imperative to recall all students have areas of forcefulness and opportunities for growth. Your students with disabilities are no exception! Build relationships with your students to learn what they are interested in and harness their strengths in the fine art room.

3. Ensure all students accept admission.

A 3rd important point is there should not be a separate curriculum for students with disabilities. Equally you lot tin see from Jenna'south suggestions above, meaningful inclusion is nigh more than welcoming students with disabilities into the art room. It's about utilizing best practices and evidence-based strategies to respond to students' individual needs so they can be involved in all aspects of learning—work that, at the cease of the day, improves teaching for all your students! Rely on principles of differentiated education and the use of specific adaptations to ensure all students accept access to the same learning opportunities in your art room.

4. Be both teacher and learner.

Finally, as with whatever attribute of pedagogy, teachers are lifelong learners. We are reflective and look for new ways to solve the aforementioned issues. For students with disabilities, at that place is a team of educators and specialists dedicated to their educational success. If you are not sure who is available to help, ask!

Look for opportunities to learn and grow right forth with your students and celebrate even the smallest of victories. Jenna reminded me that as fine art teachers, we often see our students in a unique lite and see growth that has peradventure eluded educators working in other classrooms. This offers a fuller picture show of who our students with disabilities are! Celebrate your students' success in the art room past sharing it with other members of their team, and yous can go an advocate for creative approaches to pedagogy across the curriculum.

Cheers so much, Jenna for sharing your incredible expertise with us. If yous'd like to read more virtually Jenna, delight see her bio below. And, don't forget to check out more than about resources and programs for your students from The Kennedy Center's Role of VSA and Accessibility hither!

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Jenna Gabriel is the Manager of Special Instruction at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She oversees education initiatives affecting students with disabilities and their teachers, including the annual VSA Intersections: Arts and Special Education Conference. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Gabriel was based in Boston at IBA-Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, where she directed all Chiliad-12 youth development programs. In this capacity, she designed and supervised out-of-schoolhouse-time programs for ELLs and struggling readers—programming that was awarded the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Programs Award, presented by Onetime First Lady Michelle Obama. Ms. Gabriel is the Founding Executive Director of Daytime Moon Creations, an NYC-based nonprofit offering arts programs to children with disabilities, and has led arts-based special teaching programming throughout NYC. Ms. Gabriel holds a BFA with honors in Drama from New York University'southward Tisch School of the Arts and studied Intellectual Disabilities and Autism at Teachers College, Columbia University earlier completing her Masters in Educational activity at Harvard Academy.

Mag manufactures and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily stand for the position of the Fine art of Education Academy (AOEU) or its bookish offerings. Contributors utilize terms in the way they are most often talked virtually in the scope of their educational experiences.

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Source: https://theartofeducation.edu/2018/08/01/what-you-need-to-know-about-inclusive-education-in-the-art-room/

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