Abstract
There is great value to including creative arts experiences in learning environments for those individuals on the autism spectrum. The creative arts can reveal new understandings about ASD, in particular about how the arts may help facilitate verbal and nonverbal communication, emotional expressivity, social connectivity, intellectual acuity, and content mastery. The arts can also provide strong pathways for vocational training, economic growth, self-determination, and professional and life skills independence. At times students with ASD have been relegated to minimal or no participation in group discussions in the art room for fear of eliciting inappropriate responses and behavioral outbursts. This chapter attempts to break down the wall of fear around implementing creative arts curricula for students with ASD and offers helpful tips and tools for educators, therapists, or other practitioners. This chapter also shows that by using the unique blend of approaches described, students with ASD can engage deeply with themselves, their personal experiences, and others through art materials.
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Newman-Godfrey, A., Stichter, L. (2017). Visual Arts Curriculum for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In: Chiang, HM. (eds) Curricula for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69983-7_8
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