Success, Failures, and Methods of Teaching Art to Students with
Autism
Kristin KowalskiSummit Academy Elementary
K-8 Art Teacher Toledo Ohio
Topics • Pre-Assessment• Growth and Development may be slow, but its
worth it: Patience • Diversified Instruction to Keep students Motivated
and Focused• STRUCTURE:
Classroom and lesson Structure• Understand the Students Sensory Needs• Methods for Motor Skill Development• Try to understand their thought process before
discounting or blaming on behavior • There could be a hidden talent that can be
embraced• Adapt the classroom environment for success• Fixations: Battling Them and Embracing Them
Pre-Assessment
Growth and Development may be slow, but its worth it: Patience
Stories of James
James
• 8years old• 4th year at the school• Sensory needs• Will have huge fits it made to do work that
he doesn’t want to do.• Very affectionate • Very dramatic • Speech problems
James 1
The paper Mache disaster
Diversified Instruction to Keep students
Motivated and Focused
Donavon and Amelia • 8 years old• 2nd year at the school• Difficulty staying on task • Obsessive actions • Daydreams continuously• Struggles with retaining
lesson information • Comes from an abusive
home environment • Struggles with social
skills• Skilled drawer
• 8 years old• 2nd year at the school• Difficulty staying on
task• Very imaginative,
struggles with separating reality from imagination
• Obsessive actions • Above average
academically• Struggles with social
skills
Stories
Smart Board Interactive Activities
•Handouts•Redirection
•Games•Stencils
STRUCTURE:Classroom and Lesson
Structure
• Lesson Structure • Material Preparation • “Show me you are ready for art
today” • Seat Assignment (Relation to
other student and stimulus)• Classroom routine • “My Friends”, voice tone • Control of Behavior • Alternative options for lesson
Eli
• 10 years old • 1st year at the school• Very energetic• Above grade level academically• Seeks continuous reinforcement • Detailed oriented with art projects• Remembers all information about
concepts and history.
Understand the Students Sensory
Needs
• Plan for the meltdown and try to avoid it.
• Talk to teachers • Discuss the experience prior to the art
making• Creative ways for dealing with sensory
challenging materials. • Alternatives• “Its all how you word it”
Kevin• 13 Years old • 6th year at the school 4th year as my
student • Delayed Cognition • Very personable • Lack Motivation• Multiple sensory issues in art:
Construction paper, Styrofoam, cotton balls or anything fuzzy.
• Loves Painting
James 2
I Killed My Fish
Methods for Motor Skill
Development
Logan
• 6 years old• 2nd year at the school• Verbally echoes • Delayed Cognition • When he started school:
-Couldn’t render letters-Verbally very limited-Only scribbled and pounded drawing materials-10 minute maximum attention span in class-Couldn’t retain any lesson information-Made continuous noise and hand gestures
January 1st year
Beginning of 2nd year
2nd year September
October 2nd Year
November 2nd Year
2nd Year November
December 2nd Year
2nd Year December
2nd Year January
Try to understand their thought process before discounting or blaming
on behavior
Jonathon
• 9 years old• 2nd year at the school• Verbally repetitive • Can not identify feelings • Refuses to complete work or tasks
often• Can not relate to peers• Defiant behaviors
There could be a hidden talent that can be embraced
Mo• 12 years old • 2 years attending with a year
between at a different school• Minimal verbal skills• Very short attention span• Imaginary word distracts from most
school activities, art discussions and demonstrations.
• Loves to draw from cartoons and video games.
James 3
Tints and Shades
Adapt the classroom environment for
success
Demetrius
• Not diagnosed due family not wanting special education services
• 2nd year at the school• See imaginary objects and talks to
them• Can not focus of academics • Yells out unrelated topic frequently• Has multiple fixations• Behavioral problems
1st year
1st year
1st year
September 2nd year
October 2nd year
2nd year November
2nd year January
Fixations: Battling Them and
Embracing Them
James 4
Even spilled ink is an artistic experience
•Laugh •Relax
•Love them
Kristin Kowalski
[email protected](614)260-4891
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