Inclusion through art: Service learning project connects autistic children, families with the arts
Using a community inclusion philosophy inspired by a trip to Ventura, Calif., Brandt and the MSUM students collaborated with the Plains Art Museum in Fargo to create an accessible arts experience for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
The first Autism and Art workshop was held in February, and another on Saturday.
“We knew we wanted to start small and to include families in our project,” Kolness said. “Parents are often left out of the loop, and there are not that many community opportunities for students on the spectrum.”
Autism spectrum disorder is an umbrella term encompassing aspects such as high and low function and various degrees of difficulty in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and repetitive behaviors. One in 68 children is born with autism in the United States, and it is five times more common in boys than in girls, Brandt said.
Last summer, Brandt visited the community of Ventura, which works intentionally to be an ASD inclusive community. The collaborations include the police, who are trained about autism spectrum behaviors and work directly with families. Also, the community college provides a life skills certificate for those on the spectrum.
“This wraps around the entire community,” Brandt says. “Oftentimes, families with ASD children feel isolated. Ventura moves beyond school walls and opens the community to ASD kids and families. After all, kids with autism grow up to be adults with autism.”
Brandt wanted to bring her inclusive vision from Ventura to Fargo-Moorhead. She pitched the seed of an idea to Kris Bergquist, director of education at the Plains Art Museum.
Bergquist said they collaborated with the parents before the first event to see what would work for their children. She described it as a “treasured experience,” and said it hopefully will be a seasonal event.
“It is part of our strategic plan at the Plains to work with more diverse audiences,” Bergquist said, “and we want to make art accessible for all in the community.”
At the February workshop, Lepp said, the four participating families viewed an art exhibit, “Vivid,” which featured the work of Seth Chwast and Dietrich Sieling, both artists with autism.
The children then created felt landscapes with a variety of colors and shapes, manipulated Legos into shapes, listened to a calming music video, and transitioned calmly and slowly from one activity to another, Larson said.
“It was all very flexible, organic and hands-on,” Larson said. “We let the kids lead us. Mostly we kept smiling all day and we didn’t want it to end. Neither did the kids.”
Saturday’s workshop focused on how art can evoke the five senses, through hands-on activities in the gallery and creating a multimedia collage.
Brandt wants to keep expanding the idea using more elements such as music, dance, clay or painting, as she believes art is a universal language.
Originally from Lakota, N.D., Brandt always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She brought notebooks home from school and “forced” her five siblings to do schoolwork. She attended Valley City (N.D.) State University as an undergrad, received a master’s degree in special education from MSUM and her doctorate in education, curriculum and instruction and special education ASD disorders from the University of South Dakota.
She and her husband, Jason, also own and developed the Children’s Montessori Center in Fargo. The couple has four children and they love to travel, especially to art museums. Since 2006, she has presented at professional conferences around the country.
This year, Brandt will present on community inclusion, especially for those with autism spectrum disorders, at conferences in Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York City and Wroclaw, Poland.
“Dr. Brandt is great at creating relationships with students in the classroom,” Larson says. “We have learning communities in the class where we have book clubs, special ed focus groups, research projects and service learning opportunities.”
All three of Brandt’s students wanted to be teachers for as long as they can remember, too. Now they have training in elementary teaching, including special education, a direction they did not expect on their journeys. Kolness, of Hendrum, Minn., will receive her special education licensure next year. Larson, of Eagan, Minn., and Lepp, Wahpeton, N.D., will graduate this May in elementary inclusion.
Brandt said it took months to rewrite MSUM’s education curriculum to incorporate the inclusion philosophy, which was supported by administration and the Minnesota Board of Teaching.
“Elementary inclusion means we have special education training embedded into all of our education classes and curriculum,” says Lepp, who has been placed in a school setting for seven of her eight college semesters. “This helps meet the needs of the market because of the growing number of children with special needs. As teachers, we can collaborate with special ed teachers, families and help with special needs assessments.”
Brandt advises parents to “listen to their gut” about their child’s development.
“Early intervention is crucial for ASD,” she says. “If you see repetitive pattern behaviors, atypical social skills, or a step backward, a decline in development, see your pediatrician. Find someone who can help you look for answers.”
The MSUM students agree that working with autistic students requires a whole different kind of flexibility and love.
“These children are very special,” Kolness says. “They capture your heart. Give them opportunities. Don’t be afraid, and please don’t give up on them.”