Abstract
Integrating art activities into student-centered educational programs can significantly enhance cognitive and social skill development among learners (Escala, 2024). With one out of every 36 students in grades K-12 in the United States diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), preparing pre-service teachers to implement lessons to improve cognitive and social skill development among diverse learners will become critical to their future success in the classroom (Maenner et.al., 2024). This study explores the beneficial role artmaking plays in cognitive and social skill development among learners with ASD (Blandy, 1999; Read, 1945). Using arts-based research and observations pre-service teachers made while conducting art workshops students with ASD participated in, a critical analysis of the data is presented that supports the beneficial role artmaking plays in the development of cognitive and social skills of learners with autism. The research discusses workshop findings and provides recommendations for facilitating beneficial art making experiences for persons with autism. The study demonstrates how observing the creative processes of learners with ASD during exploratory art workshops can help inform the pedagogical practices of pre-service art teachers. The implications from the workshops show how pre-service teachers can adjust their roles of being a provider of propositional art knowledge to being a supporting participant in tactile explorative artmaking. Reflective practice on their artmaking experiences provides pre-service teachers with practical suggestions to improve their practice with autistic learners. Pre-service teachers can apply these principles to create more engaging and personalized learning experiences especially for diverse learners with autism spectrum disorder.
Presenters
Terese GiobbiaAssociate Professor, Program Coordinator, School of Art and Design, West Virginia University, West Virginia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
EXPLORATORY ARTMAKING, STUDENT-CENTERED PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE, ARTS-BASED RESEARCH
