The Arts Are For Everyone
The Arts Are For Everyone
Art of all types can be a powerful way for children with disabilities to express themselves, build confidence, and cultivate creativity. Unfortunately, many children with physical and cognitive disabilities are not given opportunities to explore all of the possibilities that the arts have to offer.
Today, guest author, Clair Wentz, shares a few tips on how you can help your kids get involved in the arts.
Make art accessible
Art activities should be accessible to all children. This means that you’ll need to provide accommodations for your children. This could be assistive technologies, modified materials, or a quiet room where they can work on their masterpiece without distraction.
Celebrate creativity
All artwork is subjective – the Eden Gallery explains that art may be meant to express feelings. And that means that every brushstroke, every note song, or every dance move mastered is something to celebrate. Be your children’s biggest advocate and their loudest cheerleader by celebrating each artistic task complete. A quick note here: be respectful of your kids. If they ask you not to yell praise from your seat, don’t embarrass them!
Save the art they do
All kids will, at some point, draw, paint, or create clay works of art. Save them if you can, and create a digital version of them if you can’t. Even something as silly as a face painted on bread with jelly is worth celebrating and saving… But going digital can cut down on the mess and the ants! You can scan images and take photos and use an online PDF tool that lets you drag-and-drop your pictures so that you can save them digitally to look on later or share with friends and family. Looking for a PDF conversion tool? This may help.
Read them stories
Children love to hear stories that involve people with issues such as theirs. And since disabilities come in many different forms, make sure that you expose them to literature, movies, and other stories about people dealing with the same things they are. If your child has cancer, for example, Bristol’s Special Day may be a great book to read.
Encourage independence
Although children with disabilities might need help and they may need more time to complete artistic activities, encourage independence where you can. And remember to be patient and understanding if your little ones struggle with making messes or staying on task. The PediaPlex blog explains that you can also give your children challenges and set goals to encourage them to do more on their own.
Seek out others
It’s human nature to seek out people who are like us. Children with disabilities are no different. They might feel more comfortable doing artistic activities with people who face the same challenges as they do. If they have Down syndrome, for example, you might find an adaptive dance program. The Harvard Gazette offers more information on adaptive dance and explains that it helps children with disabilities learn how to follow directions, better understand music, and work well with others.
Whether you are engaging in sensory play with food coloring and cornstarch or letting your children dance their hearts away, art is for everyone. All children can be encouraged to engage in their favorite activities, and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Get your children excited by creating digital keepsakes of their art projects, celebrating their creativity, seeking out and reading about others with the same challenges, and encouraging independence. These seemingly small actions on your behalf may have a huge influence on your children and can help them unleash the inner creativity that you’ve always known they had.
Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-girl-dancing-in-pink-dress-7403370/