2012 art speak research paper

Running Head: ART ENRICHMENT & AUTISM II

Art Enrichment and Autism Spectrum Disorders II: A Critical Evaluation of the Art Speak

Program

Reina L. Lombardi

The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools

ART ENRICHMENT & AUTISM II 2

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to evaluate potential benefits and challenges of providing

art enrichment programming to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) via critical

evaluation of the ArtSpeak: Expressive Arts and Autism program. An underlying objective is to

narrow the gap that exists in the literature as evidenced by minimal qualitative or quantitative

research demonstrating how arts based enrichment programs can be beneficial to the education

of individuals with ASDs. Two distinct surveys were employed; a ten question survey designed

for parents of student participants, and a twelve question survey created for educators of student

participants. Every student who participated in the program had their parent and educator invited

to participate in the research. Qualitative data gleaned from the surveys suggest that the

ArtSpeak art enrichment program is likely to contribute to the development and maintenance of a

variety of social, emotional, physical, and academic skills.


Art Enrichment and Autism Spectrum Disorders II: A Critical Evaluation of the Art Speak

Program

Over the past decade, the incidence rate of children identified with autism spectrum

disorders (ASDs) have been steadily increasing. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) published the results of a 2006 study on the prevalence of autism in the

American population by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM)

Network indicating that an average of 1 in 110 children has the diagnosis of an ASD (CDC,

2009). In 2012, the CDC published research from data collected in 2008 that suggests the

prevalence rate of a child being diagnosed with an ASD has increased to an average of 1 in 88

(CDC, 2012). An ASD is a developmental disability that severely impacts an individual’s ability

to communicate and socially interact with others and is manifested through a variety of

idiosyncratic patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000). The degree

to which individuals are affected varies widely; hence, the use of the term spectrum (Autism

Society, 2008). Concurrent with the rise in incidence has been a rise in programs that specialize

in serving the unique needs of these children (Gresham, Beebe-Frankenberger, & MacMillan,

1999; Simpson, 2005; Yell, Katsiyannis, Drasgow, & Herbst, 2003).

ArtSpeak is a grant funded art enrichment program, established in 2008, whose mission is

to help children with ASD experience enjoyment and personal growth through the process of

creating art. It was developed to serve children with ASD in the community of Lee County

Florida. Partnering with the local school district made it possible for ArtSpeak to provide weekly

services to children within the safety and structure of their classrooms throughout the academic

school year. Service delivery varies from one-to-one to small groups depending upon the

individual needs of each student participant. ArtSpeak facilitators design and modify art projects


to meet the needs and abilities of the students. Over the course of the academic year, students

are exposed to a myriad of collage material, water media, clay, paints, inks, and sculptural

mediums. Art projects are structured in a way that allows students to make individual choices

about the materials they use and the methods of media application.

This art enrichment program has grown from one that served 78 students in the 2008-

2009 school year, to one that benefited 220 students in the 2010-2011 school year. The number

of schools expanded from three schools (River Hall Elementary, Skyline Elementary and

Diplomat Middle) in year one, to four (Skyline Elementary, San Carlos Park Elementary, Villas

Elementary and Veterans Park Academy for the Arts) in year two, five (Villas Elementary,

Trafalgar Middle, James Stephens International Academy, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts,

and Gulf Elementary) in year three, and six (Gulf Elementary, Villas Elementary, Rayma C Page

Elementary, Gateway Elementary, Caloosa Elementary, and Dunbar Middle) during the fourth

year of operation. The program’s long-term goal is to expand the program to reach every school

that provides an education to children with ASD within the School District of Lee County.

There are approximately thirty schools projected to offer such programs in the 2012-2013 school

year.

The arts enrichment program seeks to contribute to and enhance the quality of the

educational experience for students with ASD by means of offering expressive arts activities to

students in the comfort of their classrooms. Expressive arts activities place emphasis on the

process of making art, and the benefits it has for the creator, rather than on the creation of

making an attractive piece of art (Allen, 1995; Allen, 2001; Anderson, 1992; Arrington, 2001;

Horovitz, 2005; Landgarten, 1981; Malchiodi, 2007; Rogers, 2001; Rubin, 2001). It is this

fundamental characteristic that differentiates the ArtSpeak program from traditional art education


classes students may also receive. The ArtSpeak program has two full-time instructors that

facilitate a range of art enrichment activities to children with ASD from Pre-K to eighth grade in

their classrooms. It is a completely voluntary program, thus students are not required to

participate.

The program integrates theory and educational concepts from the fields of art education

and expressive arts therapy. The ArtSpeak instructors are responsible for creating an

environment that is empathic, supportive, and non-judgmental in order to meet the divergent and

unique abilities of every student. This core component of the ArtSpeak program is firmly rooted

in the theoretical foundations of humanistic and person-centered expressive arts therapy.

Humanistic and person-centered expressive arts therapy places emphasis on creating an

environment that is authentic, empathic, and respectful to help the individual feel comfortable to

direct themselves in self-exploration via the creative process (Garai, 2001; Malchiodi, 2003;

Rogers, 2001). Every ArtSpeak session provides a structured art activity; however, students are

encouraged to make choices about, and thus direct, how to use the materials presented within the

containment of the structured activity. It is through this personal exploration and direction that

students learn about the materials, how they work, and which one or combination of materials

works best to convey their ideas. Promoting personal exploration also helps to maintain interest

and engagement in learning (Gullatt, 2007; Hewett, 2001; Montessori, 2008). Enrichment

activities are provided individually, in small, and/or large groups depending upon the abilities of

the students and the recommendations of the classroom teacher. Although a main objective of

the program is to provide positive learning experiences through engagement in the arts, feedback

collected since program origination from educators, administrators, and parents suggested that

ArtSpeak has also assisted in developing fine motor skills, improving social communication


skills, and increasing positive self-esteem and self-concept for participating students. This

feedback reflects current positions in the literature regarding the potential benefits of arts

education, arts enrichment and arts therapy (Allen, 1995; Anderson, 1992; Brown, Benedett, &

Armistad, 2010; Furniss, 2008; Gabriels, 2003; Gullatt, 2007; Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987;

Martin, 2009; Osborne, 2003; Popovich, 2006; Scheleien, Mustonen & Rynders, 1995; Silver,

2001).

Method

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge about the potential benefits

and challenges of providing art enrichment programming to individuals with ASD, specifically

through critical evaluation of the ArtSpeak program. Opinions regarding benefits, challenges and

recommendations for the ArtSpeak program have been gathered from surveys completed by

educators and parents. Critical observations and recommendations obtained through the research

have been considered for integration into the program. Secondly, this research may begin to fill

a gap in the current literature, since qualitative and quantitative research about the benefits of

using art enrichment programs with children or adults with ASD are sparse. Finally, this study

offers a means of critical evaluation and appraisal integral to the development, improvement, and

maintenance of the Art Speak program. Themes gleaned from the content analysis of the non-

participant observers qualitative surveys’ have been considered for improvement of the program.

A pilot study was conducted in 2010 using the same surveys for both parents and educators, the

results from each school year will also be evaluated for themes or divergences within the data.


Comparison graphs of the data, from the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 collections periods, are

located in Appendix C.

Rationale

Engagement in the arts provides children with many opportunities for intellectual and

emotional growth: complex problem solving abilities (Lampert, 2006), knowledge acquisition

through creativity (Lynch & Chosa, 1996; Osborne, 2003), non-verbal communication

(Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987; Osborne, 2003; Popovich, 2006), critical and abstract thinking

skills (Gullatt, 2008; Kluth & Darmody-Latham, 2003; Lampert, 2006; Rosal, 2001), fine and

gross motor skills (Anderson, 1992; Gabriels, 2003), a means of personal expression and way of

understanding about the world (Allen, 1995; Silver, 2001), intrapersonal skills (Gullatt, 2008;

Martin, 2009), and interpersonal skills (Furniss, 2008; Gabriels, 2003; Gullatt, 2008; Scheleien et

al., 1995). Multiple authors stress that children with ASD’s are visual learners and may benefit

from using visual means of communication and engagement (Cohen, 1998; Gabriels, 2003;

Goodman & Williams, 2007; Grandin, 1992; Rao & Gagie, 2006). Happé and Frith (1996),

report that individuals with autism consistently score higher in tasks of visual-spatial skills.

Silver (2001) suggests that individuals that struggle with expressive and receptive language may

be more apt to use visual-spatial modes of thinking to process information. Gabriels (2003) and

Silver (2001) both emphasize that cognitive skills can be developed through art activities.

There is a growing need for clinical, educational, and recreational programs designed for

individuals with ASD and a parallel need to substantiate claims of the beneficial properties of

such programs with empirical support (Burnaford, 2007; Epp, 2008; Gresham et al., 1999;

Lerman, Vorndran, Addison, & Kuhn, 2004; National Research Council, 2001; Osborne, J.,


2003; Schleien et al., 1995; Simpson, 2005; Simpson, McKee, Teeter, & Beytien, 2007; Yell et

al., 2003). Brown, Benedett, and Armistad completed a research study that examined school

readiness skills for at risk pre-k students enrolled at an institution with an arts enrichment based

curriculum and school readiness skills for at risk pre-k students enrolled in a non-arts enrichment

based curriculum (2010). The data suggests students participating in the arts enrichment pre-k

made significant gains on school readiness over the course of one year, and even greater

achievement over the course of two years. At risk pre-k students participating in arts based

programming scored higher on a measure of receptive vocabulary, a predictor of future academic

success, than those who participated in the non-arts based program. Schleien, Munstonen, and

Rynders (1995) evaluated the effects of a community art program to promote cooperative

learning and increase social interaction between children with autism and their non-disabled

peers. The results revealed a slight increase in social interactions initiated by students with ASD

towards their peers. This research supports the notion that art programs may aide in the practice

and development of interpersonal skills for children with ASD.

Research Questions

The following are research questions this study is designed to answer:

• Do students appreciate or enjoy participating in the art enrichment program?

• What skills, if any, is participation likely to contribute to developing or maintaining?

• What are the benefits of participation for students and educators?

• What are the challenges of participation for students and educators?

• Does the program contribute to social interactions beyond those that occur during delivery of

ArtSpeak in the classroom?


• What are the recommendations for the program?

• Are students practicing social skills during service delivery, and to what effect?

This research consisted of two unique methods of data collection; thus, the methods and

results subsections have been organized by Group One, and Group Two. All assessment

procedures, questionnaires, documents of informed consent and rationales for the study were

reviewed and approved by the Lee County Public School System Department of Accountability,

Research and Continuous Improvement Research Committee.

Instrumentation

Group One. We developed the survey based upon verbal and written informal feedback

collected from educators, administrators, and parents during the first two years of program

operation, consultation with administrators in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE)

Department at the Lee County School District, and from the existing literature about art

education and art therapy with children with ASD. The survey is intended to capture information

about potential benefits, types and frequency of social interactions students have with family in

relation to their artwork, and parent perceptions of, and recommendations for the program. The

survey consisted of three demographic items, five Likert-scale items, one matrix of six with

Likert-scale responses, one numerical item, and one open-ended opinion item. Consents and

surveys were offered to parents in both English and Spanish to decrease the likelihood of

extinction as a result of language barriers. Copies of the informed consent letter and parent

survey can be found in Appendix A.

Letters of consent and permission forms were distributed to parents through their child’s

educator the week of August 8th, 2011. The educator provided the ArtSpeak facilitator with the


signed returned consent forms. Parents were given two methods to access and complete the

survey anonymously; via the internet based survey creation and analysis software program,

Zoomerang, or via an identical paper-format accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope

supplied by the researcher for completed questionnaire return. Parents were asked to provide

their preferred method of contact for receiving the survey on the consent form. The parent group

was given both completion options to avoid possible extinction of participants due to lack of

internet access and/or computer skills.

Group Two. The educator group, twelve question, qualitative survey is intended to

capture data about skill(s) development, goal attainment, participant enjoyment, and potential

benefits and challenges of participating in the ArtSpeak program. One question was specifically

designed to solicit recommendations for the program. This survey consisted of four open-ended

opinion questions, four demographic items, one fixed alternative matrix of twenty-nine skills

with Likert-scale response for each, one single fixed opinion Likert-scale, one open-ended

Likert-scale, and one open-ended for any additional comments not covered in the survey.

Educator survey creation was based upon the informal collection of feedback and comments

from non-participant observers of the program, consultation with administrators of the ESE

Department of the Lee County School District, and the existing literature on art education and art

therapy with children with ASD. Refer to Appendix B for a copy of the informed consent and

the educator questionnaire. The educator survey was only offered via Zoomerang, given that all

educators have access to the internet within their respective classrooms and that general

computer knowledge is a job requirement for educators. The on-line format also promoted

participant anonymity.


Sample

The parents or guardians of each of the two-hundred-twenty student participants in the

ArtSpeak program, during the fall 2010 term, were invited to participate in the study. Of that,

one-hundred-thirty-six parents agreed to participate; however, a total of thirty-one did not

provide a method of contact (physical address or e-mail address). Extinction can also be

accounted for a total of five parent participants due to incorrect home mailing and e-mailing

addresses, and a total of seven others due to relocation resulting in program withdrawal. Possible

reasons for extinction may be attributed to the gap of time between providing consent to

participate and dissemination of the survey materials. In addition, a total of two consents were

not considered eligible to complete the survey as the survey was limited to single completion

regardless of the number of children a parent may have participating in the program. After

eliminating consents that did not contain contact information, extinctions, and those that were

disqualified, the actual number of consented participants is ninety-one. Out of the ninety-one, a

total of 33 (36.3%) completed hand-written and electronic surveys were returned to the

researcher. In the pilot study, the participation rate was roughly the same with a total of 35 parent

surveys completed. Note, the participation percentage decreases to (15%) when calculating

percentage based on the total of two-hundred-twenty student participants. The parent

participants consisted of 30 (91%) mothers and 3 (9%) fathers. The age range for parent

participants is illustrated in Figure One. The child’s grade level placement for each parent

participant is illustrated in Figure Two.

Twenty-seven educators, all of whom observed the ArtSpeak program in their respective

education classrooms in the Lee County Public School District during the 2011-2012 academic

calendar year, were invited to participate in the research. Seventeen (63%) of educators


completed the online survey. This rate of return is similar to that of the previous year’s pilot

study, which had a 60% completion rate for the educator group. The group was comprised of

Figure One. Parent Age Range

Figure Two. Child Grade Level

Parent Age Range in Years

0-20 (3%)

21-25 (3%)

26-30 (12%)

31-35 (18%)

36-40 (12%)

41-45 (30%)

46-50 (18%)

51-55 (3%)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Pre-K (18%)

Kindergarten (21%)

First (12%)

Second (12%)

Third (6%)

Fourth (3%)

Fifth (12%)

Sixth (3%)

Seventh (9%)

Eighth (3%)

Number of Children

Child Grade Level Placement


100% females. All of the educators hold at least a Bachelor’s degree, and twelve (71%)

identified this degree was in Special Education. Ten (59%) of the educators hold Master’s

degrees in subject areas such as Educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, adaptive

physical education, and exceptional student education. Two (12%) hold two Bachelor’s degrees.

Four (24%) have completed the additional coursework requirements to obtain an Autism

Endorsement. Two (12%) hold endorsements for English speakers of other languages (ESOL),

and one (6%) hold an endorsement in ESE. Educators’ years of professional experience range

from 2 to over 17 years. Two did not provide information on years of experience. Figure three

provides a chart of the breakdown in years of experience for educators. The majority of the

educators have five or more years of experience teaching students with ASD. This was true of

the pilot study sample population also.

Figure Three. Educator Experience in Years

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

2 4 5 6 7 9 10 14 15 17+

Num

ber

of E

duca

tors

Years Experience

Educator Experience in Years


It should be noted that sampling bias exists for both participant groups due to the fact that

the participants self-selected to participate in study. Participants were not paid or offered any

other type of compensation to partake in this research.

Setting

The entire study was completed in Lee County, Florida. Educators were given the parent

consent letters to send home with students and a large manila envelope to collect returned signed

copies of the consents to give to the ArtSpeak facilitator working at their school. Included in the

consent form was space for parents to provide their preferred method of receiving the survey─

US post or e-mail. The parent participant group completed the questionnaires on their own time,

and likely did so in their own homes, although this is unconfirmed. Questionnaires were

distributed to parents to complete via their preferred method of contact the week of April 23,

2012. A reminder asking participants to complete the survey by the close of the school year was

distributed the week of May 7, 2012.

The informed consent document, which included the hyperlink to the survey, was

distributed to each educator via their district based e-mail address on May 1, 2012. A reminder e-

mail was sent out to all educators asking them to complete the survey before the close of the

academic year was distributed the week of May 14, 2012. Educators confirmed consent to

participate by following the link to the survey. The researcher suspects that the educators

completed their online questionnaire from their respective classrooms.

Validity

The surveys used in this research were developed by the researcher and were written with

as much objectivity as possible. To determine content validity, the survey was reviewed by


colleagues of the researcher and several administrative staff of the ESE department in the school

district. The surveys were revised based upon the responses and suggestions received through

this review process.

There are some areas of concern for internal validity of the study. Administration of the

instrument under the same set of conditions for each participant was not possible because the

surveys, be it e-mail or paper pencil, were completed in the participants own time. A greater

threat to internal validity was instant mortality, or unwillingness of the selected sample to

participate. This was evidenced in the parent sample in that only thirty-one of the ninety-one

that agreed to complete the survey actually did, and in the educator sample where only seventeen

of the twenty-seven educators invited to participate actually completed the survey. These issues

limit the generalizability of the study.

Results

Group One

Participants were asked to use a Likert-scale (always; most of the time; some of the time;

none of the time) to respond to a matrix of six statements about their child’s behavior. This

question was designed to capture information about social interaction between parent(s) and

child at home regarding the artwork created in the program. Fourteen participants (42%)

responded always, seven participants (21%) responded most of the time, five participants (15%)

responded some of the time, seven of the participants (21%) responded none of the time, to the

statement “My child appears excited to show me his or her artwork.” Graphic data for this

statement is listed in Figure Four.


Ten participants (30%) responded always, eight participants (24%) responded most of the

time, eight participants (24%) responded some of the time, seven participants (21%) responded

none of the time, to the statement “My child verbally communicates with me about his or her

creation.” Figure Five provides a graphic representation of this data.

Five parents (15%) responded always, six parents responded (18%) most of the time, six

parents (18%) responded some of the time, fourteen parents (42%) responded none of the time, to

the statement “My child non-verbally or gesturally communicates with me about his or her

creation.” Data for this statement appears in Figure Six.

Ten participants (30%) responded always, eight parents (24%) responded most of the

time, seven parents (21%) responded some of the time, and eight parents (24%) responded none

of the time, to the statement, “My child takes his artwork out of his or her backpack to share with

me without prompting.” Figure Seven illustrates the graphic data for this statement.

Seven participants (21%) responded always, five participants (15%) responded most of

the time, nine participants (27%) responded some of the time, eleven participants (33%)

responded none of the time, to the statement, “My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her

backpack to share with me with prompting.” The data for this statement is featured in Figure

Eight.

Five parents (15%) responded always, three parents (9%) responded most of the time, two

parents (6%) responded some of the time, twenty-two parents (66%) responded none of the time,

and six parents (17.1%) did not respond to the statement, “My child does not take his or her

artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me regardless of prompting.” Figure Nine

provides a graphic representation of the data for this statement.


Figure Four. Frequency that, “My child appears excited to show me his or her artwork.”

Figure Five. Frequency that, “My child verbally communicates with me about his or her creation.”

Figure Six. Frequency that, “My child non-verbally of gesturally communicates with me about his or her creation.

0

5

10

15

Always(42%)

Most of thetime (21%)

Some ofthe time

(15%)

None of thetime (21%)

# of

Res

pons

es

02468

1012

Always (30%) Most of thetime (24%)

Some of thetime (24%)


# of

Res

pons

es

0

5

10

15




# of

Res

pons

es


Figure Seven. Frequency that, “My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me without prompting.”

Figure Eight. Frequency that, “My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me with prompting.”

Figure Nine. Frequency that, “My child does not take his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me regardless of prompting.”

0

2

4

6

8

10

12




# of

Res

pons

es

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Always (21%) Most of the time(15%)


None of the time(33%)

# of

Res

pons

es

0

5

10

15

20

25

Always (15%) Most of the time(9%)

Some of the time(6%)

None of the time(66%)

# of

Res

pons

es


Students frequently express pride in their work while at school by showing their

completed product to teachers, faculty, and by asking to take their work home. Researchers were

interested in ascertaining if students carry-over these feelings of accomplishment and pride in

their artwork in their homes. To determine if a carry-over exists, parents were asked to rate, “the

frequency that your child has verbally or gesturally expressed desire to display his or her artwork

in the home.” Five parents (15%) reported never, seven parents (21%) reported one to two

times, five parents (15%) reported three to five times, one parent (3%) reported six to eight

times, four parents (12%) reported nine to ten times, and eleven parents (33%) reported always

as the rate of frequency that their child expressed desire to display their artwork in the home.

Figure Ten provides a graph of this data.

Figure Ten. Frequency that, “child expressed desire to display artwork in the home.”

Researchers were interested in determining if knowledge-transfer of student participant

art skills was occurring. To ascertain this, parents were asked to use a Likert-scale (more than

before participating; about the same as before participating; less than before participating; he or

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Never (15%)

1-2 (21%)

3-5 (15%)

6-8 (3%)

9-10 (12%)

Always (33%)

# of Responses

Freq

uenc

y


she never expresses desire to engage in creative activities at home) to respond to the question,

“Since participating in the ArtSpeak program, has your child verbally or gesturally expressed

desire to engage in creative or artistic activities at home?” Twenty parents (60%) responded

more than before participating, ten parents (30%) responded about the same as before

participating, zero responses were given for less than before participating, and three parents

(9%) responded never as to the frequency their child expresses desire to engage in creative or

artistic activities in the home. Figure Eleven provides a graph of this data.

Figure Eleven. Frequency child has expressed desire to engage in art activities at home.

To determine if students appear to be enjoying participating in the program, parents were

asked to use a Likert-scale (he or she highly enjoys the program; he or she enjoys the program;

he or she somewhat enjoys the program; he or she does not enjoy the program) to respond to the

following statement, “Based on your interactions with your child, please rate the level of

enjoyment you believe your child experiences from participation in the ArtSpeak program.”

Twenty-two parents (67%) reported that they believe their child highly enjoys participating in the

program. Ten parents (30%) reported that they believe their child enjoys participating in the

0 5 10 15 20 25

Never expresses desire to engage in art at home (9%)

Less than before participating (0%)

About the same as before participating (30%)

More than before participating (60%)

# of Responses

Freq

uenc

y


program. One parent (3%) reported that they believe their child somewhat enjoys participating in

the program. There were no responses reporting that they believe their child does not enjoy the

program. A graph of this data is presented in Figure Twelve.

Figure Twelve. Parent rating for the level of child participant enjoyment.

Researchers desired to understand parent perceptions of the program and if those

perceptions included seeing the program as beneficial for their child. Parents were again asked

to use a Likert-scale (highly beneficial; beneficial; somewhat beneficial; not beneficial at all) to

rate their perception as to the overall benefit for their child. Twenty-one parents (64%) reported

that they perceive participation in the art enrichment program to be highly beneficial to their

child. Eleven parents (33%) reported that they perceive participation in the art enrichment

program to be beneficial to their child. One parent (3%) reported the program as not beneficial

at all. This data is featured in Figure Thirteen.

0 5 10 15 20 25

Does not enjoy (0%)

Somewhat enjoys (3%)

Enjoys (30%)

Highly enjoys (67%)

# of Responses

Enj

oym

ent l

evel


Figure Thirteen. Parent perceptions of overall program benefit for their child.

Parents were asked to rate the likelihood of providing permission to participate in the

program in the future using a Likert-scale (definitely likely, most likely, somewhat likely, not

likely at all). Almost all, twenty-nine parents (88%), reported that they are definitely likely to

grant permission for their child to participate in the program if it is offered to them in the future.

Three parents (9%) reported that they are most likely to grant permission for their child to

participate in the program if it is offered to them in the future. One parent (3%) reported that they

are somewhat likely to allow their child to participate in the program if it is offered to them in the

future. Figure Fourteen provides a graph of the data.

Figure Fourteen. Likelihood parent would permit their child to participate in ArtSpeak again.

0 5 10 15 20 25

Not beneficial at all (3%)

Somewhat beneficial (0%)

Beneficial (33%)

Highly beneficial (64%)

# of Responses

Perc

eive

d B

enef

it

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Not likely at all (0%)

Somewhat likely (3%)

Most likely (9%)

Definitely likely (88%)

# of Responses

Pare

nt L

ikel

ihoo

d


Parents were asked to indicate the amount in school years that their child has participated

in the program. The majority, twenty-five (76%), reported this to be their child’s first year in the

program, five (15%) reported it to be their child’s second year, and three (9%) reported that it

was the third year their child participated in the program.

Parents were provided the opportunity to complete an open ended question regarding any

additional comments, suggestions, or recommendations on ways to improve or enhance the

program. Seventeen participants (52 %) provided the following feedback:

• “Please continue to offer this program to the children. They should be able to express themselves

not only through writing but in drawing as well. My child has shown such talent in his art projects

and he has a lot of enthusiasm toward it as well. Thanks for offering this program to the children

of the future.”

• “I love the program! It allows my son to express himself through art and to be proud to show off

his work.”

• “This program motivates my son to attend school on Thursdays, the say he has “Art Speaks.” He

is always excited about what they are doing that day. We show off his art each week. He loves the

program!”

• “I have 2 children in the program for 3 years. I think it is a very beneficial program. I hope we will

have the program offered again next year.” This parent also noted that her son, “…won 1st place in

a coloring contest for the newspaper.”

• “My son has enjoyed the learning different ways of expressing himself with art and learning new

ways of making things.”

• “Great program! More arts in our school are fundamental. Thank you.”

• “(Name of child omitted) does not empty his bag. I usually bring out any artwork. At most he will

smile. I display his work on the refrigerator and he does like that.”


• “My child is non-verbal, but seems to enjoy the program, by comments of the teacher; he is

obsessed with doing art at home; mostly drawing and crayon art. I think it gives him better self-

esteem.”

• “Love it!”

• “Thank you. He enjoyed this program. He now will do crafts and create projects.”

• “Although my child is not ready to show me her art without prompting, I love the program

because it helps with her fine motor skills. She is not a huge fan of using crayons, markers, or

pencils, but she loved finger painting now. She is also feeding herself using a spoon or fork. This

is a huge milestone for her to conquer. I would like to think her fine motor skills have improved

because of the ArtSpeak program, as well as other therapies. I hope the program will be offered

next year.”

• “He never used to tell me stories about his art and now he does. He also seems much more creative

in his art. Thank you for your great work!”

• “ArtSpeak has been a highlight in my child’s school week. I wish he could continue it at Diplomat

Middle School. He has benefited tremendously from the program. Thank you ArtSpeak.”

• “More creative drawings to express moods.”

• “I think it is a wonderful program. I hope she will be able to participate next school year.”

• “Any activity that encourages children to express themselves artistically has got to be good. I fully

support this program!”

• “You’re doing great, keep up the GREAT work!”

For more fluid comparison of the data collected in the pilot study and the current study,

comparison charts for each item have been included in Appendix C.

Group Two

Educator participants were asked to provide detailed information about the level of

exposure to art education that their students receive during the school year not including the

ArtSpeak program. Four educators (24%) reported that their students do not receive specific art


instruction, but participate in art in the classroom with assistance anywhere from 2 to 5 days per

week. Three educators (18%) reported that students participate in a large group setting on an

every 6 days rotation. Students participate in art as a special reported two educators (12%), but

did not indicate the frequency they receive art instruction. Two others (12%) reported that their

students participate in art instruction every 10 days. One of them described the type of art

instruction offered in her statement, “They color a picture and that is it.” Two teachers (12%)

indicated that art class was not offered for students with special needs at the school. One (6%)

educator responded that students participate in art for 40 minutes every 7 days, and one (6%)

educator reported students participate in art for 40 minutes every 8 days, but it is supplemented

with an in class activity once per week. Another educator (6%) reported that art is provided in

class about twice per month. Finally, one teacher (6%) did not indicate whether or not students

receive additional art instruction.

Using a Likert-scale (all the time, most of the time, some of the time, none of the time)

educators were asked to rate, based upon their observations, the frequency that their students

appreciate participating in the program. Participants were also asked to provide examples if

applicable. One-hundred percent of educator participants reported that students appreciate

participating in the program all the time. Seven educators provided specific written examples of

what indicates that students appreciate participating in the program. They are as follows:

• “When I tell my pre-k students (most of which are 3 year olds) that [the ArtSpeak instructor] is

waiting for us in the classroom as we are transitioning from playground to classroom, they ALL

walk in cooperatively, eagerly and excited to see her when they re-enter the classroom.”

• “My students really enjoy it.”

• “Some can be non-complaint at first (usual behavior) but once they get going and realize [the

ArtSpeak instructor] is patient and fun, they all love it!”


• “My students know on Wednesdays we have ArtSpeak. They are very upset if it is cancelled for

any reason.”

• “My kids LOVE seeing [the ArtSpeak instructor] come in and get very excited to work with her.

She is one of the highlights of the week!”

• “I have students that will walk right up to [the ArtSpeak instructor] and say ‘my turn’ when she

enters the room.”

Researchers desired to obtain information regarding the likelihood that participation in

the program contributes to the development and or maintenance of seven specific skill sets. The

skills sets are pre-academic, academic, fine motor, interpersonal, intrapersonal, abstract thinking

skills, and communication skills. Participants were asked to rate the likelihood that participation

in the program contributes to the development and or maintenance of the seven skills by rating a

matrix of twenty-nine behaviors and concepts using a Likert-scale (definitely, highly likely,

somewhat likely, not likely at all). The researcher coded each of the twenty-nine items as

indicators of the larger skill set. Some of the items were indicated for multiple skills sets.

The behaviors coded to the fine-motor skill set are: holds pencil correctly, manual

dexterity, handwriting, controlled application of pressure, pick up small items, and lacing.

Twelve educators (71%) indicated definitely likely, four educators (24%) indicated highly likely,

one educator (6%) did not response to the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to hold a pencil correctly.

Fifteen participants (88%) selected definitely likely, two participants (12%) selected highly likely,

as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development and

maintenance of student manual dexterity. Seven participants (41 %) reported definitely likely,

seven participants (41%) reported highly likely, three participants (18%) reported somewhat

likely, as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development


and maintenance of student handwriting ability. Twelve educators (71%) indicated definitely

likely, four educators (24%) indicated highly likely, one educator (6%) indicated somewhat likely,

as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development and

maintenance of student ability to employ controlled application of pressure when writing or

squeezing. Fifteen participants (88%) reported definitely likely, and two participants (12%)

reported highly likely, as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the

development and maintenance of student ability to pick up small items. Seven educators (41%)

selected definitely likely, seven educators (41 %) selected highly likely, two educators (12%)

selected somewhat likely, and one educator (6%) responded not likely at all as the likelihood that

participation in the program contributes to the development and maintenance of student lacing

ability. Figure fifteen provides a side by side graph of each behavior assessed in the fine-motor

skill set.

Figure Fifteen. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development

and/or maintenance of student fine-motor skills.

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Holds pencilcorrectly

Manualdexterity

Handwriting Controlledapplicationof pressure

Picks upsmall items

Lacing

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Fine Motor Skills Set

Definitely

Highly Likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


The concepts coded for the pre-academic skill set are: color, shape and letter

identification, listening, lacing, counting, and following directions. Fourteen educators (82%)

selected definitely likely, two educators (12%) selected highly likely, and one educator (6%)

selected somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to

the development and maintenance of student ability to identify colors. Fourteen participants

(82%) reported definitely likely, two educators (12%) reported highly likely, and one participant

(6%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program contributes to

the development or maintenance of student ability to identify shapes. Nine educators (53%)

reported definitely likely, five educators (29%) reported highly likely, two educators (12%)

reported somewhat likely, and one (6%) did not respond as to the likelihood that participation in

the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to identify

letters. Thirteen participants (76%) reported definitely likely, and four participants (24%)

reported highly likely as the likelihood program participation contributes to the development and

maintenance of listening skills. Seven educators (41%) selected definitely likely, seven educators

(41%) selected highly likely, two educators (12%) selected somewhat likely, and one educator

(6%) responded not likely at all as the likelihood that participation in the program contributes to

the development and maintenance of student lacing ability. Ten participants (59%) reported

definitely likely, five participants (29%) reported highly likely, and two participants (12%)

reported somewhat likely, as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to

the development and maintenance of student ability to count. Every educator (100%) reported

that participation in the program is definitely likely to contribute towards the development and

maintenance of student ability to follow directions. Figure sixteen features a comparison graph

of each behavior assessed in the pre-academic skill set.


Figure Sixteen. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development

and/or maintenance of student pre-academic skills.

The items coded for the academic skill set are: handwriting, sequencing, use trial and

error to solve problems, think creatively, visual expression of ideas, verbal expression of ideas,

generation of new ideas, imaginative thinking and play, ability to attend to a task for longer

periods of time, follow an order of operations, and the ability to generalize information learned

from one task to another. Seven participants (41%) reported definitely likely, seven participants

(41%) reported highly likely, three participants (18%) reported somewhat likely, as the likelihood

that participation in the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of

student handwriting ability. Twelve educators (71%) reported definitely likely, two participants

(12 %) reported highly likely, and one participant (6%) reported somewhat likely as the

likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development and

maintenance of student ability to follow a sequence. Two participants (12%) did not respond to

0

20

40

60

80

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120

Identifycolors

Identifyshapes

Idenifyletters

Listening Lacing Counting Followingdirections

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Pre-academic skills set

Definitely

Highly likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


this concept. Ten participants (59%) reported definitely likely, six participants (35%) reported

highly likely, and one participants (6%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that

participation in the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student

ability to use trial and error to solve problems. Fifteen participants (88%) reported definitely

likely, and two participants (12%) reported highly likely, as the likelihood that participation in the

program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to think

creatively. Fourteen educators (82%) selected definitely likely, and three educators (18%)

selected highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the

development and maintenance of student ability for successful visual expression of ideas.

Twelve participants (71%) reported definitely likely, two participants (12 %) reported highly

likely, and three participants (18%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation

in the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability for

successful verbal expression of ideas. Twelve educators (71%) selected definitely likely, and five

educators (29%) selected highly likely, as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to generate new ideas.

Fourteen educators (82%) reported definitely likely and three educators (18%) reported highly

likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development and

maintenance of student ability to employ imaginative thinking and play. Fifteen participants

(88%) reported definitely likely, and two participants (12%) reported highly likely as the


maintenance of student ability to attend to a task for longer periods of time. Thirteen participants

(76%) reported definitely likely and four participants (24%) reported highly likely, as the



maintenance of student ability to follow an order of operations. Ten participants (59%) reported

definitely likely, six participants (35%) reported highly likely, and one participants (6%) reported

somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the

development and maintenance of student ability to generalize information learned from one task

to another. A graph listing all assessed behaviors for the academic skill set is located in Figure

seventeen.

The items coded for the interpersonal skill set are: listening, share with others, following

directions, gestural interaction with others, verbal interaction with others, and verbal expression

of ideas. Thirteen educators (76%) selected definitely likely, and four educators (24%) selected

highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the

development and maintenance of student listening ability. Eleven teachers (65%) reported

definitely likely, four teachers (24%) reported highly likely, and two teachers (12%) indicated

somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the

development and maintenance of student ability to share with others. Seventeen participants

(100%) reported that it is definitely likely that participation in the program would contribute to

the development and maintenance of student ability to follow directions. Thirteen educators

(76%) indicated definitely likely, two educators (12%) indicated highly likely, and two educators

(12%) indicated somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to use gestural interaction with

others. Fourteen educators (82%) selected definitely likely, two educators (12%) selected highly

likely, and one educator (6%) selected somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the

program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student verbal interaction with


Figure Seventeen. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development

and/or maintenance of student academic skills.

others. Twelve participants (71%) reported definitely likely, two participants (12%) reported

highly likely, and three participants (18%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that


ability for successful verbal expression of ideas. Figure Eighteen provides a graph of all the

behaviors assessed in the interpersonal skill set.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Perc

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Academic Skills Set

Definitely

Highly likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


Figure Eighteen. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development

and/or maintenance of student interpersonal skills.

The concepts coded for intrapersonal skill set are: tolerate feelings of frustration, self-

confidence, experience a sense of pride and accomplishment in ones work, willingness to try or

expose oneself to something new or different, and the ability to attend to a task for longer periods

of time. Thirteen educators (76%) selected definitely likely, three educators (18%) selected

highly likely, and one educators (6%) selected somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation

in the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to

tolerate feelings of frustration. Fourteen educators (82%) indicated definitely likely and three

educators (18%) indicated highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student self-confidence. Fifteen educators

(88%) indicated definitely likely, one educators (6 %) indicated highly likely, and one educator

(6%) did not respond as to the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to

the development and maintenance of student ability to experience a sense of accomplishment and

pride in ones work. Fourteen participants (82%) reported definitely likely, and three participants

(18%) reported highly likely, as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute

to the development and maintenance of student willingness to try or expose oneself to something

020406080

100120

Listening Share withothers

Followdirections

Gesturalinteractionwith others

Verbalinteractionwith others

Verbalexpression

of ideasPerc

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ants

Interpersonal Skills Set

Definitely

Highly likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


new or different. Fifteen participants (88%) reported definitely likely, and two participants

(12%) reported highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute

to the development and maintenance of student ability to attend to a task for longer periods of

time. Figure nineteen provides a graph of the behaviors assessed for the intrapersonal skills.

Figure Nineteen. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development

and/or maintenance of student intrapersonal skills.

The concepts coded for abstract thinking skills are: using trial and error to solve

problems, creative thinking, generation of new ideas, imaginative thinking and play, and the

ability to generalize information learned from one task to another. Ten participants (59%)

reported definitely likely, six participants (35%) reported highly likely, and one participants (6%)

reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to

the development and maintenance of student ability to use trial and error to solve problems.

0102030405060708090

100

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

an

Intrapersonal Skills Set

Definitely

Highly likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


Fifteen participants (88%) reported definitely likely, and two participants (12%) reported highly


and maintenance of student ability to think creatively. Twelve educators (71%) selected

definitely likely, and five educators (29%) selected highly likely, as the likelihood that


ability to generate new ideas. Fourteen educators (82%) reported definitely likely and three

educators (18%) reported highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to employ imaginative thinking

and play. Ten participants (59%) reported definitely likely, six participants (35%) reported highly

likely, and one participants (6%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in

the program would contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability to

generalize information learned from one task to another. Figure twenty-two illustrates the data

for the abstract skills set.

The concepts coded for communication skills are: verbal interactions with others,

listening, sharing with others, follow directions, gestural interaction with others, verbal

expression of ideas, visual expression of ideas, and follow an order of operations. Fourteen

educators (82%) selected definitely likely, two educators (12%) selected highly likely, and one

educator (6%) selected somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student verbal interaction with others.

Thirteen educators (76%) selected definitely likely, and four educators (24%) selected highly

likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute to the development and

maintenance of student listening ability. Eleven teachers (65%) reported definitely likely, four


Figure twenty-two. Likelihood that participation in the ArtSpeak program contributes to

the development and or maintenance of abstract thinking skills.

teachers (24%) reported highly likely, and two teachers (12%) indicated somewhat likely as the


maintenance of student ability to share with others. One hundred percent of teachers reported

participation in the program is definitely likely to contribute to the development and maintenance

of student ability to follow directions. Thirteen educators (76%) reported definitely likely, two

educators (12%) reported highly likely, and two (12%) reported somewhat likely, as the


maintenance of student ability for gestural interaction with others. Twelve participants (71%)

reported definitely likely, two participants (12%) reported highly likely, and three participants

(18%) reported somewhat likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would

contribute to the development and maintenance of student ability for successful verbal

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Trial & errorto solve

problems

Creativethinking

Generation ofnew ideas

Imaginativethinking and

play

Generalizefrom task-to-

task

Abstract Thinking Skills

Definitely

Highly Likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


expression of ideas. Fourteen educators (82%) selected definitely likely, and three educators

(18%) selected highly likely as the likelihood that participation in the program would contribute

to the development and maintenance of student ability for successful visual expression of ideas.

Thirteen participants (76%) reported definitely likely, and four participants (24%) reported highly


and maintenance of student ability to follow an order of operations. The data for the concepts

assessed for the communication skills set are provided in Figure twenty-three.

A follow up open-ended question was given to allow for educators to write in and rate

any skills not listed in the matrix that they felt may be applicable. One educator reported that

participation in the program definitely contributes to student participation in conversations that

are not topics of their choosing.

Teachers were asked in an open-ended response format to report on what have been the greatest

benefits, if any, for students participating in the ArtSpeak program. The researchers analyzed the

responses and grouped each unique response into themes and assessed the frequency of each

theme. Positive social interactions and/or social skills development appeared in the data seven

times. Increased opportunities for creative expression surfaced in the data six times. Students

experiencing motivation, self-esteem, and pride as a result of participation in the program

appeared in the data four times. Exposure to different art materials, mediums, and processes

emerged four times. Three times, overcoming or increasing tolerance for sensory and tactile

issues appeared in results. Opportunities to improve fine motor skills emerged twice, as did the

opportunity to work with instructors from outside the classroom. Each of the following appeared

in the data once each: art being taught by a degreed specialist experienced with ESE students;


Figure Twenty-three. Likelihood that participation in the ArtSpeak program contributes to

the development and or maintenance of communication skills.

freedom of expression; increased attention to task ratio; following a sequence; and consistency in

the delivery model (ie. once per week on the same day and same time).

Educators were asked in an open-ended response format to report on what have been the

greatest benefits, if any, for them. The responses were analyzed by grouping like items into

themes and counting each theme. The most frequent response that appeared in the data, ten

times, was learning ideas for integrating more art activities into the classroom including thinking

outside the box and trying new things and allowing kids the opportunity for more exploration

with materials and less guidelines for creating art. Appearing ten times in the data was the

opportunity to witness and/or observe student interactions during the program. Reinforcing and

generalizing skills taught in the classroom appeared in the data five times. The following

appeared in the data once each: having another adult encourage student self-expression; positive

0

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60

80

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120

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Communication Skills Set

Definitely

Highly likely

Somewhat likely

Not likely at all


parent responses to the student artwork; and the ability to use student art products as a facilitator

of verbal interaction by having students share with peers and adults about their creations.

Educators were asked in an open-ended response format to reports on what have been the

challenges, if any, with participating in the program. The data collected was analyzed by

grouping like items into themes and counting each theme. Six reported that they have not

observed any challenges. Two reported the only challenge is not having the program enough.

The other challenges reported were:

• “They are good challenges. I have a student who chooses particular colors as his ‘favorite’ colors

and has [a] hard time using any other colors than his ‘favorite’ color. The art speak program has

helped him become more flexible in accepting new color choices on his paper without getting

upset.”

• “Some challenges may be the behavior of the students in the classroom-this is not reflective of

ArtSpeak. Depending on their morning, it could be a great session or have to be cut short due to

behavior. Time can also be a challenge-making sure that all children have a chance to participate

every week.”

• “The only challenges we have encountered are because of the large numbers of students in the

classroom, time can be an issue. Also, sometimes the students feel negatively about their creations

of it does not turn out the way he/she expects.”

• “One of the projects we did was a challenge; however, it was a skill the children needed and it

ended up being worthwhile.”

Using an open-ended response format, educators were asked to provide any suggestions

or recommendations on ways to improve or enhance the program. The responses were grouped

into themes and counted. The most frequent recommendation, from five participants, is to offer

the program more and every year. Additional suggestions are as follows:


• “An art booklet for teachers with all the art creations that were provided throughout the school

year.”

• “The program is wonderful for my students. I can’t think of any way to do it better.”

• “Maybe providing literature that can be sent home to the parents about the program or idea on

things to do at home with their child.”

• “I would like more interaction between students (sharing, communicating).”

Finally, using an open-ended response format, educators were asked to provide any

additional comments that as educators they feel are important but may not have been addressed

in the questionnaire. Ten participants provided the following responses:

• “Our classroom (students, assistants and teacher) LOVE [our instructor] and hope she will be back

at Caloosa Elementary in August. The students have grown so much with her help and

encouragement.”

• “Please provide this program next year. Our students loved this program and couldn’t wait for [the

instructor] to arrive.”

• “Love it! Thank you so much for your continued dedication and time to our students! You are

truly appreciated and loved by the students and staff at Caloosa! Come back to us next year!!”

• “PLEASE stay at VILLAS we love the program!”

• “It has been a great learning experience for the students and me. I am happy to be a part of

something so special!”

• “The instructor is FABULOUS. She works very hard to get the students engaged and provides

multiple opportunities to learn and express themselves.”

• “This is a wonderful program. It is my second time working with the ArtSpeak [program]. I wish

the program was bigger and more schools could benefit.”

• “My kids love it, so do I!”

• “I would love to have the ArtSpeak program in my school and classroom every year. [The

instructor] was an excellent ‘instructor’.”


• “It is such a welcome change to have an individual come into my classroom and welcome working

with the children, even the more challenging ones.”

Discussion

This study employed two open-ended surveys. The data obtained from these surveys

yielded information regarding:

• the frequency and types of interaction between parent and child at home in

regards to the artwork created in the program;

• student affect when sharing artwork at home;

• student carry-over feelings of pride and accomplishment in their artwork as

evidenced by frequency of requests for parents to display artwork in the home;

• knowledge transfer of art skills as evidenced by frequency of participant

initiation to engage in art making activities at home;

• participant enjoyment as observed by parents and educators; parental opinions

regarding the overall level of program benefit for their child;

• frequency and level of exposure to art education beyond the Artspeak program;

• likelihood that participation contributes towards the development of seven

specific skill sets as assessed through educator rated individual behaviors that

indicate skill mastery;

• educator opinions regarding specific benefits participation provides their

students and for them; and

• recommendations for the program from educators and parents.


The data provided by parents and educators suggest that student participants are enjoying

and benefiting from participating in the art enrichment program. Enjoyment and appreciation are

important factors because people, regardless of their abilities, are more likely to actively

participate in activities that they find enjoyable. Actively engaged students are more likely to

have gains in learning (Gullatt, 2007).

Researchers suspected that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to a myriad of different

skills that are associated with success in learning derived from the existing literature (Allen,

1995; Anderson, 1992; Furniss, 2008; Gabriels, 2003; Gullatt, 2007, 2008; Kluth & Darmody-

Latham, 2003; Lampert, 2006; Lynch & Chosa, 1996; Osborne, 2003; Silver, 2001). The data

collected from the highly educated and experienced group of teachers suggests a strong

likelihood that participation in the program contributes to the development or maintenance of

fine-motor skills, pre-academic skills, academic skills, interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills,

abstract thinking skills, and communication skills. A major goal of the ArtSpeak program is to

enhance the quality of the educational experience for students with ASD through artistic

engagement. The data shared by educators suggests that the program has been successful in

fulfilling that goal. Results obtained from the parent survey suggest that participation in the

program has also contributed to an increase in many student participants’ desire to engage in

artistic endeavors at home. The information regarding the frequency of exposure to art education

opportunities other than ArtSpeak, provided by educators, suggests that the art enrichment

program is providing exposure and experiences in the arts that many student participants may

otherwise not receive. This also suggests that the development and maintenance of academic,

social, physical and artistic skills may not be better attributed to exposure through other art

education venues. It is impossible to isolate the level of contribution that the art enrichment


program plays in skill development in comparison to the many other therapies these students

receive through methods of qualitative inquiry. It is important to recognize that many of these

skills are being concurrently addressed in occupational, speech, and physical therapies as well.

As one parent noted, “I would like to think her fine motor skills have improved because of the

ArtSpeaks program, as well as other therapies.”

Parent responses regarding the frequency of their child requesting that their work be

displayed in the homes support the researcher’s assumption that the majority of students do make

this request, at least on occasion. Additionally, the majority of parents reported that the

frequency of their children’s excitement to show their artwork as always or most of the time.

Most of the parents indicated the frequency with which their children take their artwork out of

their backpacks to share without prompting as always to some of the time. Student artwork

made in the program is sometimes taken home days, weeks, or even months after it was created.

This suggests that students are carrying over feelings of pride and accomplishment from

immediately after creation of their work in school to a later date in the home. This may be a

behavioral indicator that the art enrichment experiences are providing positive esteem building

opportunities for participants.

The majority of students also appear to be communicating about their artwork to parents,

either through verbal means or gesture. This suggests that the student art products are providing

opportunities for reciprocal social interaction between parent and child.

The majority of parents reported that they perceived the program to be highly beneficial

for their children. This perception may be a contributing factor to parents reporting that they are

definitely likely or most likely to permit their child to participate in the ArtSpeak program should


it be offered to them again in the future. Positive parental perception and approval is essential

for the program to continue to provide services as student participation is voluntary and requires

parental consent to participate.

Equally important to the continuance of the program are the opinions of the educators

regarding the potential benefits this program offers the students and their classrooms. Numerous

themes arose in the data regarding what the greatest benefits to students are according to the

opinion of the teachers. Themes with the greatest occurrence were student opportunity for

creative self-expression, communication and social skill development, and contributions to

student self-esteem, self-confidence, and pride. Not surprisingly, these themes also received

high ratings regarding the programs ability to contribute to the development and maintenance of

these concepts in a previous survey question. The most frequent themes that emerged regarding

the greatest benefit to the educator were that the program contributes creative ideas to integrate

in the classroom, offers opportunities for educators to witness and observe student interactions

between peers and adults from outside the classroom, and the opportunities made available to

reinforce and/or generalize skills taught in the classroom. These findings are positive as they

suggest the program offers benefits for both students and educators.

A recommendation that appeared in both parent and educator surveys was program

expansion to cover more schools and to provide all ESE students the opportunity to experience

the program. Educators also recommended that the program expand to include additional

instruction periods beyond what they are already receiving and to continue to offer the program

year after year. Many parents and teachers reported that the program is working well as it is;

thus, no changes were recommended. Developing literature, to be distributed to parents and

educators, about the program to include art project instructions for use at home and in the


classroom were suggested by both participant groups. This recommendation is one that could be

easily integrated into the current program model and should be given substantial consideration.

Overall, the results of the study suggest that the ArtSpeak program is enhancing the

quality of the student participants’ educational experience. Students appear to be experiencing

benefits of the program in a variety of areas including positive social, emotional, physical, and

academic skills development and maintenance.


References

Allen, P. (1995). Art is a way of knowing:A guide to self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment

through creativity. Boston, MA: Shambala.

Allen, P. (2001). Art making as spiritual path: The open studio process as a way to practice art

therapy. In J. A. Rubin (Ed.), Approaches to Art Therapy (2nd ed., pp. 178-188).

Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge.

Anderson, F. E. (1992). Art for all the children: approaches to art therapy with children with

disabilities (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

American Psychological Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Arrington, D. B. (2001). Home is where the art is: An art therapy approach to family therapy.

Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

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APPENDIX A

A1. Informed Consent to Participate for Parent & Child

August 8, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Art Speak, a program of the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools Inc., will be conducting research about the potential benefits and challenges, and to assess goal setting and attainment during the 2011-2012 school calendar year. You and your child are being invited to participate in this research. This consent form provides information about the study. We will be available to answer your questions if needed. Your decision to participate in this study is voluntary, as is your right to withdraw from participating at any time without consequence.

Title of the Study: Art Enrichment and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Critical Evaluation of the Art Speak Program

Purpose: The primary purpose of this research is to garner critical information about potential benefits, challenges, and assess goal setting and attainment for the Art Speak program. This will be assessed through parental completion of an 11 question survey. The secondary purpose is to evaluate the effects of participation in the art enrichment program on student social communication skills through observing and documenting the frequency of social interactions during three collection periods.

Possible Risks/Benefits Associated with participation in this study: There are no known risks associated with parent participation since the survey questions are based on your individual observations and opinions. There are no known risks associated with observing student participation in the art enrichment program and documenting the number of social interactions that occur. The potential benefits from this research may include the knowledge gathered about the Art Speak program and its’ ability to enrich and enhance skills development with participants of the program.

Possible Costs/Compensation Associated with participation in this study: There is no compensation being offered for participation in this study. The only cost to participants will be the amount of time it takes to complete the survey.

Anticipated time to complete the survey: It is anticipated that it will take approximately 10-15 minutes for parents to complete the 11 question online survey. For those individuals unable to access the online survey, a paper copy will be provided with a pre-stamped envelope for returning the completed survey to the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc.

Right to withdraw: Participants can withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. In addition, participants may choose not to answer, or skip, certain questions in the survey without consequence. Children can continue to participate in the art enrichment program without participating in the study.

Privacy of Records and data: The surveys used in the study do not collect any identifying information; therefore, participants will remain anonymous. Your child’s name WILL NOT


be used in any literature written about this research and will remain completely anonymous. Parents’ e-mail or home address obtained for survey distribution will remain private and will not be shared or disclosed. The data collected from this research will be utilized by the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and may or may not be printed in various mainstream or scholarly publications.

Questions & Contact information: If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study, please contact the researcher, Reina Lombardi, at [email protected] or 239.337.0433. You may also contact the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools President and CEO, Marshall T. Bower, at [email protected] or by phone at 239.337.0433.

Thank you! Your participation is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Reina Lombardi, MA, Associate Program Manager

Marshall T. Bower, Esq., President & CEO

P.O. Box 1608 Fort Myers, FL 33901 Phone: 239.337.0433 Fax: 239.337.7077

Please complete and return this page to your child’s teacher by August 19th, 2011. I, ____________________________________, give permission for my child_______________________________, (Parent/Guardian name) (Child’s name) and myself to participate in research about the benefits, challenges, goal setting and attainment for the Art Speak: Expressive Arts & Autism program. Parent Signature:___________________________________________________________ Date:____________________________________________________________________ Please indicate your preference for completing the parent survey by providing us either your e-mail or home address in the space below. Your contact information will not be distributed and will be destroyed at the close of the research. Parent surveys will be distributed the week of April 23, 2012. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A2. Cover Letter for E-mail Parent Survey

mailto:[email protected]



May 1, 2012

Dear Parent or Guardian,

You are receiving this e-mail because you agreed to participate in a short survey about the ArtSpeak program your child has been participating in this year. Please complete the survey by following this link http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FK2SN5BGU . We look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Sincerely,

Marshall T. Bower, Esq. Reina Lombardi, MA, ATR-BC President & CEO Associate Program Manager

A3. Cover Letter for Paper-Pencil Parent Survey

April 27, 2012

Dear Parent or Guardian,

You are receiving this packet because you agreed to participate in a short survey about the ArtSpeak program your child has been participating in this year. Please complete the survey and return it to the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools in the pre-stamped envelope provided. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Sincerely,

Marshall T. Bower, Esq. Reina Lombardi, MA, ATR-BC President & CEO Associate Program Manager

A4. Parent Survey

Parent Evaluation & Observations of ArtSpeak

Demographics

1.) At what grade is your child currently placed?

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FK2SN5BGU


Pre-K 4th Kindergarten 5th 1st 6th 2nd 7th 3rd 8th

2.) From the list below, please select your relationship to the child participating in the ArtSpeak program? Mother Grandmother Father Grandfather Step-Mother Guardian Step-Father Other_______________________________

3.) Please select your age group, in years, from the list: 0-20 46-50 21-25 51-55 26-30 56-60 31-35 61-65 36-40 65-70 41-45 70+

Observations & Opinions

4.) Please rate the frequency of the following statements as occurring: A.) Always B.) Most of time C.) Some of the time D.) None of the time

a. My child appears excited to show me his or her artwork. ______ b. My child verbally communicates with me about his or her creation.______ c. My child non-verbally or gesturally communicates with me about his or her

creation. _______ d. My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me

without prompting. ______ e. My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me with

prompting. _______ f. My child does not take his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with

me regardless of prompting. ______

5.) Please circle the frequency that your child has verbally or gesturally expressed desire to display his or her artwork in the home? 0 times 6-8 times 1-2 times 9-10 times


3-5 times All the time

6.) Since participating in the ArtSpeak program, has your child verbally or gesturally expressed desire to engage in creative or artistic activities at home?

More than before participating About the same as before participating Less than before participating He/she never expresses desire to engage in creative activities at home

7.) Based on your interactions with your child, please rate the level of enjoyment you believe your child experiences from participation in the ArtSpeak program.

He/she highly enjoys the program He/she enjoys the program He/she somewhat enjoys the program He/she does not enjoy the program

8.) Please rate your perception of the overall benefit to your child participating in the

ArtSpeak program. Highly beneficial Beneficial Somewhat beneficial Not beneficial at all

9.) If this program were to be offered to your child at a later date, please rate the likelihood that you would provide permission for your child to participate in the program again. Definitely likely Most likely Somewhat likely Not likely at all

10.) Please indicate how many school years your child has participated in the ArtSpeak

program. First year Second year Third year Fourth year

11.) Please provide any additional comments you feel are relevant including any suggestions or recommendations on ways to improve or enhance the ArtSpeak program. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your opinions are important to us.


APPENDIX B

B1. Educator Informed Consent

Date May 1, 2012

Dear Educator,

You have been invited to participate in a research study regarding the Art Speak: Expressive Arts & Autism program. You have been selected to participate in this study because your student(s) are currently participating in the program. This consent form provides information about the study. We will be available to answer your questions if needed. Your decision to participate in this study is voluntary, as is your right to withdraw from participating at any time without consequence.

Title of the Study: Art enrichment and autism spectrum disorders: A critical evaluation of the Art Speak program

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to garner critical information about potential benefits, and challenges, and assess goal setting and attainment for the Art Speak program as observed and evaluated by the teachers whose students participated in the program.

Possible Risks/Benefits Associated with participation in this study: There are no known risks associated with participating in this research since the survey questions are based on participants’ observations and opinions. The potential benefits from this research may include the knowledge gathered about the Art Speak program and its’ potential to enrich and enhance skill development for participants of the program.

Possible Costs/Compensation Associated with participation in this study: There is no compensation being offered for participation in this study. The only cost to participants will be the amount of time it takes to complete the survey.

Number of questions & anticipated time to complete the survey: It is anticipated that it will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete the 12 question survey.

Right to withdraw: Participants can withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. In addition, participants may choose not to answer, or skip, certain questions in the survey without consequence.

Privacy of Records and data: The survey does not collect any identifying information; therefore, participants will remain anonymous. Data collected from the research will be utilized by the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and may or may not be printed in various mainstream or scholarly publications.

Questions & Contact information: If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study, please contact the researcher, Reina Lombardi, at [email protected] or 239.337.0433. You may also contact the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools Executive Director, Marshall T. Bower, at [email protected] or 239.337.0433.

By clicking the following link to the survey, you are giving consent to participate.

Thank you again for your participation.

Sincerely,

Marshall T. Bower, Esq.

President & CEO

Reina Lombardi, MA, ATR-BC

Associate Program Manager

P.O. Box 1608 Fort Myers, FL 33901 Phone: 239.337.0433 Fax: 239.337.7077




B2. Educator Survey

Educator Evaluation & Observations of ArtSpeak

Demographics

1. Please check all the grade level(s) that comprise the students in your classroom. Pre-K Kindergarten 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

2. Please tell us your gender. Female Male

3. Please list all degrees you hold (for example: BA-Special Education; MA-Reading; BA-Reading & MA-Special Education, etc…) and how many years you have been an educator for students with autism spectrum disorders. _________________________

Observations & Opinions

4. Please describe in as much detail as possible, the level and type of art education your students receive during the school year not including the ArtSpeak program. Please include who teachers the art education (you or an art educator), the frequency of participation (one a week for one semester, daily…), if students stay in your classroom or transition to another space or both, and any other information you feel is relevant. _________________________________________

5. Based on your observations, do your students appreciate participating in the ArtSpeak program? Please provide example(s) if applicable. 1) All the time 2) Most of the time 3) Some of the time 4) None of the time

___________________________________________________________________

6. Please rate whether participation in the ArtSpeak program is (1) definitely, (2) highly likely, (3) somewhat likely, or (4) not at all likely to contribute to the development and/or maintenance of the following observable behaviors and skills. Hold pencil correctly ______ Identify colors ______ Verbal interaction with others _____ Handwriting _____ Listening _____


Controlled application of pressure when writing or squeezing _____ Identify shapes _____ Pick up small items _____ Lacing _____ Identifying letters _____ Counting _____ Follow a sequence ______ Share with others _____ Follow directions _____ Gestural interaction with others _____ Use trial and error to solve problems _____ Tolerate feelings of frustration _____ Self-confidence ______ Experience a sense of accomplishment & pride in ones work _____ Think creatively _____ Willingness to try or expose oneself to something new or different _____ Successful visual expression of ideas _____ Successful verbal expression of ideas _____ Generation of new ideas ______ Manual dexterity ______ Imaginative thinking and play ______ Ability to attend to a task for longer periods of time _____ Follow an order of operations _____ Ability to generalize information learned from one task to another _____

7. If there were any skills not listed in the previous question that you feel apply, please provide them here. Please rate whether participation in the ArtSpeak program is (1) definitely, (2) highly likely, (3) somewhat likely, or (4) not at all likely to contribute to the development and/or maintenance of the skill. ___________________________________________________________________

8. Based on your observations what have been the greatest benefits, if any, of participating in the ArtSpeak program for your students? ____________________________________________________________________

9. Please tell us in what way(s), if any, participating in the ArtSpeak program has been of benefit to you as an educator? _____________________________________________________________________


10. Please share any challenges with the ArtSpeak program that you have observed? Challenges may be, but are not limited to scheduling, facilitator effectiveness, types of projects or materials, student responses, etc…. ___________________________________________________________________

11. Based on your observations, please provide any suggestions or recommendations on ways to improve or enhance the ArtSpeak program. _____________________________________________________________________

12. Please provide any additional comments about the ArtSpeak program that you feel are important but may not have been addressed in the previous questions. _____________________________________________________________________


APPENDIX C

C1. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4a.

C2. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4b.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

Always Most of the time Some of the time None of the time

"My child appears excited to show me his or her artwork."

2011

2012

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants


"My child verbally communicates with me about his/her creation"

2011

2012


C3. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4c.

C4. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4d.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

Always Most always Some of the time None of the time

"My child non-verbally or gesturally communicates with me about his or her creation."

2011

2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants


"My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me without prompting."

2011

2012


C5. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4e.

C6. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 4f.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants


"My child takes his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me with prompting."

2011

2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants


"My child does not take his or her artwork out of his or her backpack to share with me regardless of prompting."

2011

2012


C7. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 5.


0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

Zero 1 or 2 3 to 5 6 to 8 9 to 10 Always

"Frequency that child expressed desire to display artwork in the home."

2011

2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

More than About the same Less than Never

"Since participating has your child verabally or gesturally expressed desire to engage in creative or artistic activities at home?

2011

2012


C9. Comparison Scores between 2011-2012 data for parent survey question 7.


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Axis

Titl

e

Highly enjoys Enjoys Somewhat enjoys Does not enjoy

"Based on your interactions with your child, please rate the level of enjoyment you believe your child experiences from participation in

the program."

2011

2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

Highly Beneficial Beneficial Somewhat Beneficial Not Beneficial

"Rate your perception of the overall benefit to your child participating in the program."

2011

2012


C11. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 for parent survey question 9.

C12. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for educator survey question 5.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

Definitely likely Most likely Somewhat likely Not likely

"Rate the likelihood you would permit your child to participate if this program was offered in the future."

2011

2012

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Perc

enta

ge o

f Res

pond

ants

All the time Most of the time Did not respond

"Rate the frequency that your students appreciate participating in the program."

2011

2012


C13. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and/or maintenance of student fine-motor skills. Comparison Scores for 2011-2012.

C14. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and/or maintenance of student pre-academic skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Hold PencilCorrectly

Handwriting ControlledApplication of

Pressure

Pick up smallitems

Lacing ManualDexterity

Fine-Motor Skills

2011 Definitely 2012 Definitely 2011 Highly 2012 Highly

2011 Somewhat 2012 Somewhat 2011 Not likely 2012 Not Likely

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Color ID Listening Shape ID Lacing Letter ID Counting

Pre-Academic Skills Set


2011 Somewhat 2012 Somewhat 2011 Not Likely 2012 Not likely


C15. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and/or maintenance of student academic skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Academic Skills Set


2011 Somewhat 2012 Somewhat 2011 Not likely 2012 Not likely


C16. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and/or maintenance of student interpersonal skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

C17. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and/or maintenance of student intrapersonal skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Listening Share withothers

Followdirections

Gesturalinteraction with

others

Verbalinteractionswith others

Verbalexpression of

ideas

Interpersonal Skills Set



0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

FrustrationTolerance

Self-Confidence Experience Pride inOne's Work

Willingness to trynew things

Increased time totask

Intrapersonal Skills Set

2011 Defintely 2012 Definitely 2011 Highly 2012 highly



C18. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and or maintenance of student abstract thinking skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

C19. Likelihood that participation in ArtSpeak contributes to the development and or maintenance of student communication skills set. Comparison Scores 2011-2012.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Trial & error Think Creatively Generation of newidea

Imaginativethinking and play

Generalizeinformation

Abstract Thinking Skills Set



0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

VerbalInteractions

Listening Sharingwith others

Followingdirections

GesturalInteractions

Verbalexpression

of ideas

Visualexpression

of ideas

Follow anorder of

operations

Communication Skills Set


2011 Somewhat 2012 Somewhat 2011 Not Likely 2012 Not Likely


C20. Comparison scores between 2011-2012 data for educator survey question 8.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Greatest benefit(s) for Students

2011

2012

2012 art speak research paper

Documents

autism program

art enrichment programming

prevalence of autism

autism spectrum disorders

asd cdc

term spectrum autism

arts based enrichment

children gresham