Exploring the arts as a transformative tool for individuals with special needs, and the communities that support them.
The Growing Place
Arts Integration and Special Education- Alida Anderson
Wings to Fly: Bringing Theatre Arts to Special Education- Sally D. Bailey
"Outlines the therapeutic and education benefits students with disabilities gain from involvement in drama."
How to provide theatre art services to individuals with special needs, and the need for the arts in daily life.
"Arts Integration and Special Education contributes to research, policy, and practice by providing a theory of action for studying how linguistic, cognitive, and affective student engagement relates to arts integrated learning contexts and how these dimensions of engagement influence content area and literacy learning."
"This paper reports on how one local theatre drew on the findings of a national project to mount a ‘relaxed performance’ of their annual pantomime. It discusses the theatre's preparations and presents evidence of the impact the event had on local children with autism and their families. The success of both the national project and this local one marks a new beginning for improved access to the theatre for an audience that has hitherto felt largely excluded."
"How Drama Activates Learning: Contemporary Research and Practice draws together leaders in drama education and applied theatre from across the globe, including authors from Europe, North America and Australasia. It explores how learning can be activated when drama pedagogies and philosophies are applied across diverse contexts and for varied purposes."
How Drama Activates Learning: Contemporary Research and Practice-Michael Anderson and Julie Dunn
Resources for Parents!
While creating The Growing Place, I referenced many texts about arts integration, activating the curriculum through the arts, fostering cognitive and emotional growth, and activating community involvement and support through the arts. If you would like to learn more about how you, your community, or your child's school can use the arts to support children with special needs, please feel free to take a look at the list of texts I have compiled below. Also, check out this literature search table for an extended list of texts. Happy reading!
