ARED 335 : Bridging the Gap

As we learned in class last Wednesday, there are three categories of special needs children: ADD or ADHD, Mentally Retarded and Emotionally Impaired. For each of these students, we found that there are indeed ways to incorporate different techniques by considering the different requirements of each special needs child as they are learning side by side their mainstream peers. Our group brainstormed (though perhaps not very effectively) on the Mentally Retarded Student. This particular special needs student is creative but can become easily frustrated so the instructor must consider this. Along with other considerations for example the student’s favor of solids and materials with monetary value like the “glitter paper” will not only boost the special needs student’s self-esteem but give that student a chance to express him or herself along with the mainstreams and thus show us that art “can bridge the gap.”