Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities

Creating differentiated art curricula to accommodate artistically talented students' individual needs may enhance student performance and program outcomes. This Digest discusses (1) individual education plans for artistically able students with exceptionalities, (2) subgroups of students with dual exceptionalities, (3) methods of teaching students with dual exceptionalities, and (4) methods of teaching students with specific disabilities. 

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

Since the passage of The Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, the landscape of art education has changed dramatically. Students with exceptional educational needs (EEN) are mainstreamed with their peers to fulfill the requirement that they be "educated in their least restrictive environment (LRE)" (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997). Although students with EEN are frequently supported in academic subjects by special instructors or instructional assistants, this often is not the case in areas considered less academic, such as art, music, technology, and physical education. These students have adaptations written into their IEPs by teams that include professionals, social workers, and parents, but rarely art teachers. Because of this, IEPs for mainstreamed students with EEN are often inappropriate in an art education context. Art teachers are finding that specialized adaptations for students with EEN beyond those constructed by regular classroom teachers and special education teachers are necessary (Hillert 1997). 

Also, art teachers must work with students of all ability levels with little classroom support. In addition to frequently being left out of the IEP development process, they often are unaware of the variety of disabilities affecting their students. To individualize their curricula to accommodate the varying needs, interests, and abilities of special populations in their classes, art teachers need to request copies of any learning modifications that may be called for by a student's IEP (Yong and McIntyre 1992). There are many ways to describe and categorize characteristics of students with talent in the visual arts (Clark and Zimmerman 1992). An important challenge that many art teachers face is differentiating curricula for students who simultaneously demonstrate artistic talent and exceptionalities in other areas. For these students, artistic expression may be a means of demonstrating their capabilities. 

Subgroups of Students with Dual Exceptionalities

Students with dual exceptionalities have both high ability and learning disabilities. Generally, they can be divided into three subgroups. The first subgroup includes students not identified as having an EEN (Beckley 1998). These students may use their abilities to compensate for disabilities that do not surface in a regular classroom. An art teacher often may discover that a student needs to be referred for assessment. 

The second subgroup of students has been identified as having an EEN, but the strengths of their academic and art abilities may go unrecognized (Beckley 1998). These students often face problems in the art room that revolve around disabilities and low self-image. Students with dual exceptionalities often blame themselves for their failures and do not recognize their successes. A challenge to all teachers is to emphasize student success and reinforce it in concrete ways (Vaidya 1993).