A Complete Guide to Teaching Art to Those with Autism

A Complete Guide to TEACHING ART TO THOSE WITH AUTISM

UTILIZING THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN AND LIFE SKILLSBy Mishawn K. Reynolds

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Mishawn K. Reynolds
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4670-3593-4

Contents

References.........................................................399Index..............................................................403

Chapter One

Part 1: Basic Facts About Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Prevalence of Autism

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has reached what could be considered epidemic proportions over the last decade. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has become an urgent public health concern.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders outlines the required criteria for the diagnosis of autism. Introduced in 1994, the criteria have not changed in any way, but it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of children who have ASD.

Estimates are becoming better and more consistent though. This is due to the fact that ASD research and means of assessment has increased a great deal in recent years, and multiple interest groups have formed organizations to determine current statistics. The CDC for example funds the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM), which is a group of programs that determine the number of people with autism in the United States, making the current statistics more accurate as to how many people have been effected.

Research has shown that a diagnosis of autism at age two can be reliable, valid, and stable. But despite evidence that ASD can often be identified at around 18 months, many children do not receive final diagnosis until they are much older. The median age of earliest ASD diagnosis is between 4.5 and 5.5 years, but for 51-91 percent of children with an ASD developmental concern, it has been recorded before three years of age (CDC, 2011).

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act now requires that comprehensive annual reports be published and presented to the United States Congress each year. The statistics reveal that the number of children with ASD has more than doubled in six years, with 37 states now reporting increases of more than one hundred percent. This could be viewed as a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.

The CDC has revealed the most current statistic and estimates of those affected with ASD in the United States as:

One in 80 in 240 with an average of one in 110 children in the United States. Thus if four million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 36,500 children will eventually be diagnosed with an ASD. Assuming the prevalence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that 730,000 individuals between the ages of 0 to 21 have ASD (CDC, 2011).

We must engage in helping students who have already been diagnosed. Thus, there is an need for the type of program suggested in this book as it is an additional approach to increase independence and the quality of life for these people.

If implemented properly, it will have a great effect on this often misunderstood population. In order to do so, It is important for the many people who have not been exposed to the different types, or needs, of those with ASD to become familiar with these prior to working with them.

What Is Autism?

Like the color spectrum, the types of autism reflect a continuum from genius to those who are extremely handicapped. People from any ethnicity, race, creed, or socioeconomic background are affected. It is a puzzling disorder without a cure, with a wide range of intelligence and communication abilities, as well as the strengths and difficulties in-between.

The faces of autism are diverse. Some have successful careers, living independently, while others sit in a corner and rock all day, requiring constant care. Some are unable to speak; others are very articulate but unable to decipher facial expressions and body language (Fast, 2010).

Many have cognitive impairments, while others are savants who possess extraordinary talent in fields such as music, art, or mathematics.

Autism, also known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder affecting the normal function of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication or reciprocal social interaction, social skills, and reasoning.

Individuals on the autism spectrum often go through life trying to fit into a world that refuses to accept them. They have trouble relating to their peers, making light conversation, reading facial expressions, or sustaining eye contact. They may seem oblivious and may have unusual reactions to sensory stimuli such as sudden noises (Fast, 2010).

It is referred to as a spectrum disorder because the symptoms vary widely in severity, across a wide range of conditions, much like the colors of a rainbow.

Autism is not a form of mental retardation. Although many autistic people appear to function similarly to those diagnosed with mental retardation, they are not. However, there is a large segment of the autistic population who have some form of mental retardation.

Many also have exceptional abilities that are often not addressed because the major focus by others is their disabilities. These amazing students have the ability to demonstrate well-developed spatial and visual memory skills, especially when making art. They can often produce detailed spontaneous drawings in perspective from various vantage points. For instance, some can create a complex drawing of a building after seeing it once, or memorize a subway map after one glance and recreate it on paper.

There are also those on the far right of the spectrum who possess exceptional speech and language skills. Others have both verbal and non-verbal communication problems. Some never develop spoken language skills and remain mute. An autistic person is almost always late to speak, and usually displays abnormalities or peculiarities, including, volume, pitch, and tone of voice. After hearing others speak they might immediately imitate what they just heard through an involuntary repetition of words or phrases. This is known as echolalia and is common among those with this disorder.

The autistic person also may have severe difficulties in understanding what is said to them. They can remember and repeat entire conversations but are incapable of explaining any of the content. They take things literally, as in the case of the child who was given a five dollar bill and told to share it with a sibling. The autistic child ripped it in half, giving the other half to the sibling.

Autistic people tend to be hypersensitive to sensory information such as sound, sight, and touch. These experiences may involve a particular sense being too sensitive or less sensitive than normal. For example, the lights in a classroom may be too bright for a student, the ocean too loud, or they may touch something which might overwhelm them. They have sensory experience based on real experience, like normally developed people, but it may feel or sound different and the autistic person may have difficulty interpreting the experience. No two autistic people appear to have the exact same pattern of sensory problems.

It is important to acknowledge that there are five different disorders under the ASD umbrella. These include:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder

The term Pervasive Developmental Disorder, also called PDD, refers to a condition that involves delays in the development of many basic skills; most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use their imagination.

Children with these conditions often are confused in their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around them. Because these conditions typically are identified in children around three years of age, parents often do not notice a problem until the child is a toddler, who yet is not walking, talking, or developing at the same rate as their peers of the same age (WebMD, 2008).

Autism is much more prevalent in males than females. "In a 2006 study the results showed that one in seventy boys in the nation had an autism diagnosis; while only one in thirty-five girls were on the autistic spectrum" (Hincha-Ownby, 2010, p. 1).

Although PDD has been classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, it is controversial as to whether or not it should be classified as an autism spectrum disorder, just as it would be to include such disorders as Fragile X Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis, or Down Syndrome where one can also see autistic features. The signs of this disorder are most easily confused with those with Angelman Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy.

Rett Syndrome

Rett Syndrome is a neuro-development disorder which was first described by an Austrian pediatrician Andreas Rett, in 1966. Its clinical features often include small hands and feet and the deceleration of the head growth rate. Hand movements and mouthing are extremely common and typical as many have no verbal skills. Scoliosis, growth failure, and constipation are also very common problems. Girls with this syndrome are prone to gastrointestinal disorders, about 50% are non-ambulatory, and approximately 80% have seizures.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Sometimes confused with late-onset autism, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is a condition in which children develop normally until ages three and four, but who have a significant loss of language followed by a decline in social play and motor skills. This often leads to a more dramatic loss of skills, and a greater likelihood of mental retardation. Although it is a pervasive developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum, it is not common.

Asperger Syndrome

Like children with autism, those with Asperger Syndrome have difficulty with social interaction and communication, and have a narrow range of interests. However, children with Asperger have average or above average intelligence, and develop normally in the areas of language and cognition, the mental process related to thinking and learning. Children with Asperger also often have difficulty concentrating and may have poor coordination (WebMD, 2008).

This disorder is generally labeled as high functioning.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder as Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

People with this disorder are those who do not meet the criteria for high functioning autism. It impacts each person developmentally in the areas of social communication, interpersonal relations, and imaginative play, but they are often too social to be considered autistic. However, they are still on the autistic spectrum, and should be viewed this way in order to effectively help them become proactive in their productivity.

Grouping Autism Spectrum Disorders Together

In the past higher functioning people with ASD were given the label Asperger Syndrome. Those who fit some, but not all characteristics, were called PDD/NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Other wise Specified).

Now, the American Psychiatric Association has proposed combining these conditions under one heading, "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" (Fast, 2010).

This is due to the fact that regardless of symptomatic differences, these individuals still share "several elements in common, including: difficulty in communication, socialization, imagination, and 'preservative' or repetitive, restricted behaviors" (Miller, 2011, para. 2). This, in itself, is controversial.

There is a concern among the autistic community that ganging these groups together could actually widen the gap in helping these students. If categorized under one umbrella it could greatly reduce resources, staffing, and funding. It is important to treat everyone with ASD on an individual case basis.

This book has been designed to help all of those with any autistic disorder regardless of labels or categories, as autism remains the commonality. The word autism should be seen as a general term, and is used exclusively throughout this resource regardless of diagnosis, in order to avoid confusion.

Although autism continues to be a puzzle for teachers and parents, it is a fact that these students when consistently exposed to the visual arts over time improve their disabilities. Thus, this book is essential to the development of all of these students. In order to be effective, an investigation of the appropriate developmental stages in the visual arts must be conducted for each individual prior to any program implementation.

Chapter Two

Part 2: Schematic Art Developmental Stages

Schematic Stages of Development in Art

When teaching art to students the focus must be on understanding that all people have the ability to create art, and that art exercises critical regions of the brain's development and cognition. In his book Creative and mental growth, Viktor Lowenfeld's primary purpose was aimed at gaining an understanding of how cognitive development relates creativity to artistic expression in children.

He introduced the Schematic Stages of Development in Art. Once established, these stages created a benchmark for each student in the visual arts, which continues to be progressive as student's skills improve. It is critical that teachers have a clear understanding of the characteristics of each of these stages, before any future progress of any individual can be made in the visual arts.

The following are examples that are seen in student drawings as cognition develops. Some of these are more sophisticated as they are compilations of actual student work, in order to show as many examples of each stage's characteristics as possible.

As student drawings are examined to identify each individual's current stage of development in art, it must be understood that they may show only a few characteristics from a particular stage. Some of the students may continue to draw elements from a previous stage, as well as more complex examples from their present or future stage of development, because they are in transition from one stage to the next. Regardless, most people will have strong characteristics in a particular stage of development at any given time. That is how the norm was established.

The Scribbling Stage

The Scribbling Stage, also known as the Disordered Stage, begins in child development from fourteen months to a year and a half. Children make large sweeping motions that are disorderly, shapeless, and purposeless in their drawings; which requires minimal muscle control. This is an enjoyable kinesthetic activity since these drawings are not an attempt to portray the visual world.

The Longitudinal Stage

At about 18 months childrens' drawings become more controlled which is known as the Longitudinal Stage of scribbling. Large sweeping back and forth lines are repeated as they begin to have some muscle control. These motions continue to be an enjoyable kinesthetic activity with no meaningful content.

The Circular Stage

The Circular Stage of scribbling begins when children's abilities progress into controlled motions using muscles in their hands, wrists, and arms. They often make a series of haphazard spirals, circles, ovals, and curled lines at this time, but still without purpose.

The Naming Stage

The challenges to perception, memory, and the coordination of hand and eye movements result in children during the Naming Stage, as they begin to incorporate more demanding lines, angles, zigzags, and crosses in their pictures. The results are the collaboration of mind and body. Basically they scribble with precision. Children's thinking changes from kinesthetic to thought in terms of pictures as they begin to name their drawings. Often what the viewer may perceive in the picture, such as a person, is entirely different from what the child is thinking regarding their subject matter. This may be due to the fact that their perceptions of the world are just beginning to develop.

The Pre-Schematic Stage

As skills continue to improve, children begin to create recognizable pictures. This leads to the Pre-Schematic Stage of development. Occurring on average between the ages of three and four, this stage is characterized by a visual idea.

Symbols become more complex, reflecting the objects of the world around them. Generally, the first representational attempt is a person with a circle for the head and two vertical lines for legs. Later, clearly recognizable and often quite complex symbols and forms reflecting the child's more detailed observations appear. These may include: the sun, houses, animals, and plants. Another example would be that circles represent both heads and tree tops.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from A Complete Guide to TEACHING ART TO THOSE WITH AUTISMby Mishawn K. Reynolds Copyright © 2012 by Mishawn K. Reynolds. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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