Correction of the
personal development of disabled children by means of fine art activities in
school and additional education in the Slovak Republic
Hedviga
Gregušová, SR
Abstract:
Present state and the perspective of application of fine art aimed at the
correction of personal development of disabled individuals in school and
additional education, as well as the results of some researches in the given
area; importance of art in education,
re-education and rehabilitation of disabled children; possibilities of social
integration of disabled individuals by means of fine art activities; new
procedures in the correction of personal development of children with limited
health possibilities; use of computers in the given area in Slovakia.
Key words: education, special education, educational
rehabilitation, a child with special educational needs (a child with limited
health possibilities), disability, multiple disability, integration, art, fine
art, art-therapy, information and communication technologies, “Infovek“,
computational fine art techniques – programmes, projects, teleprojects.
Equally as it is in Ukraina it seems also in Slovakia
that the methods of the correction of personal development of children with
disabilities by means of fine art is effective. Attention to this problem is at
present paid in a world-wide measure. [1]
In
connection with the propositions I consider it necessary to stress that art
more than any other field of social life influences positively personal
development of disabled as well as intact (not disabled) children. Equally, creativity is not a privilege only
of intact individuals. These facts are based on history, science, but also on
the experience from theory and practice of special education. [3], [4]
For example READ writes, that “the work of art has nothing to do
with thinking, but rather with feeling; it is more a symbol than a direct
statement of truth.” [11]
The term art in sense of “fine arts”
(in Latin ars, French beaux-arts, German Kunst, Russian isskustvo,
Polish sztuka, Hungarian umuvészet) shows in its historical stream and in a
certain social context many semantic changes. This contribution does not
concern the definition of this term. I want only to say that if we speak about
art we have in mind its various kinds – first of all fine art, music, theatre,
drama and literature which are in the Slovak special education often applied in
an integrated form.
In general it is presented that the
art originated from a desire of men to imitate reality, but also from pleasure
from the imitation of reality. Art edifies a man above the everydayness, it is
the expression of emotional excitement and enthusiasm, it is part of religious,
cult rituals.
Fine art is a visual expression of
everything what surrounds us. Every civilizational period lefts behind its
artistic message. In the professional literature prevails the opinion that art
arises as the result of aesthetic response of an artist to the environment in
which he/she lives and the situation which he/she experiences – it is the
expression of his/her aesthetic relation to the reality. [12]
The importance of art in life of
people is clear also from the history of mankind in every period of its
development. The only difference is that in different periods it uses different
arguments. In course of the historical
development there changed only relations of a man towards art and the character
of these relations.
The aim of this presentation is not
to give a historical overview of the above mentioned, nevertheless it is necessary
to draw the attention to the fact that already in works of J.A. Comenius we can
find an appeal for the need of education by means of art and education for art
and in this process the importance of active as well as receptive
art-educational activities is stressed.
We are interested in the area of
application of art, its importance and use in the correction of the personal
development of children with health limitations in school and additional
education (education, re-education and educational rehabilitation) in Slovakia.
My mission is not to explain
special-educational terms but I consider it necessary to say that if we speak
about this kind of population and its health limitations – adequate terms in
Slovakia are disability and multiple disability and by these terms we mean an
individual – a child, adolescent or an adult with one disability – visual,
hearing, mental, speech, physical – or multiple disability – various
combinations of two and more of the above mentioned. [13], [14], [15]
If I will further use a term a
child with special educational needs or a child with a disability, think of
it in this way defined part of population.
The present new conception of care
of children with educational needs in Slovakia based on the principles of democracy
and humanism enables to create the system which ensures care of disabled
individuals in the measure they need it. We apply fine art, its receptive as
well as active parts in the subject fine art and in an integrated way in
special aesthetic education – art therapy.
Art education has its important
share in realisation of more elements of the complex education of pupils with
special educational needs. It cultivates aesthetic feeling, develops sensual
perception and rational thinking, intellectual abilities, forms moral qualities
of pupils, contributes to the polytechnic education, provides necessary
cultural habits and work skills necessary for life. Besides the educational
(aesthetic-educational) function in special schools and establishments it
also fulfils not less important educational-rehabilitation, relaxation and
diagnostic functions.
Fine art as the teaching subject in
school and additional education fulfils its unique function also in correction
of personal development of disabled children. This subject is characterised by
some special features and signs that are significantly different from other
teaching subjects' characteristics. From this result certain requirements aimed
at the organisation of educational process and methodology of work in fine art
lessons as well as special requirements for a teacher's personality and his/her
professional – special educational preparation. Special characteristics of the
subject fine art together with individual special characteristics of mentally
and in other way disabled children significantly determine the content and aims
of study of special didactics of fine art. The content basis of the subject
fine art education is fine art and environment.
If we look back to the past and
briefly evaluate the above mentioned field in Slovakia we must admit that the
60-ies and the first half of the 70-ies of the last century were
characterised by a certain scepticism and sameness in school and additional
education of disabled children as to the development of their personality by
means of fine art. This was reflected also in the quality of their art
expression. This situation was in a great measure caused by insufficient
qualification of pedagogues and from this resulting distorted view on abilities
and possibilities of disabled individuals in art expression.
Gradual development and forming of
the content and aims of fine art brought along lesser or bigger changes
connected with social – economic changes. But it is necessary to say that these
changes were not always for the benefit of mentally disabled individuals. For
example from 1978 there started an era of “New conception in special
education” affected by endeavour to reach as good results as possible. From
year to year the qualification of pedagogues in the given area increased, but
later it came out that the requirements in the subject fine art (especially the
basics of technical drawing) were as to the content inadequate. In spite of
this we can consider the period from 1978 to 1989 to be the period of
the creative approach of teachers characterised by an effort to cope with
nonsensical requirements in the Preliminary curricula and with not always
appropriate conditions for new
requirements of education.
The next characteristic of this
period was the tendency of the involved people in Slovakia to change the
evaluation and classification of fine art expression of mentally disabled
individuals as well as to change the conception of the subject fine art. The turning point of these efforts was the
period after the revolution in 1989, when we pushed through our own
(Slovak) conception of teaching the fine art in special education. The evidence
of it is the Teaching curricula from 1994 for mentally disabled pupils that are
still valid. [17]
Last years of the 20th century
were characterised by progress in the area of development of information and
communication technology (ICT). The project INFOVEK that originated in Slovakia
as the civic initiative at the end of 1998 penetrated also into the area of
education and special education. Its main aim is to prepare young generation
for work in the information age of the 21st century. The effort is directed at
the use of computers at schools and within this framework at the effort to
change the traditional status of “an active teacher and a passive pupil” to an
active pupil responsible for his/her education and an active teacher – a
counsellor in the process of cognition. Through this project the Ministry of
education of the Slovak republic builds multimedia classrooms. Within the framework
of building the hardware infrastructure a modern educational content of
individual teaching subjects in all types and levels of schools is prepared.
Teachers are trained how to use ICT. [5]
Today we can say that the above
mentioned project influenced positively also the area of correction of the
personal development of children with health limitations by means of fine
art. Looking for new methods, forms and
means of special education which support their social integration is permanently actual task. The work with
computers and at present also with multimedia computers presents an inseparable
part and the unique way of mediation of knowledge, but in some cases also the
only way of communication of disabled persons. Thus the computer fulfils not only
the educational function, but also diagnostic, compensation,
educational-rehabilitation and relaxation functions. It removes barriers in
communication and becomes an irreplaceable means of information and
integration.
On the basis of our own experience
(1999-2009) we can speak about the so called computer therapy and
to take the computer as an integration means for people with health
limitations. [5]
As to the future of the Slovak
special education it is necessary to re-make in the sense of legislation also
the necessary pedagogical documentation and to complete it in the area of
application of fine art by new verified procedures – implementation of ICT, the
possibility of use of fine art projects and teleprojects (multimedia fine
art-aesthetic communication between classes and schools from various regions).
The work on the conception in school
and additional education of children with special educational needs, as well as
their fine art expression and the presentation of their art is my professional hobby
which I am engaged in for more than 20 years. Allow me therefore to present
some observations from this field and to present a brief characteristic of my
own procedures.
As I have already mentioned, it is
indisputable and scientifically proved that art, more than any other field of
social life, influences positively also the personal development of a disabled
child. From this knowledge comes out the art-therapy – treatment by art,
supportive treatment method used in Slovakia mostly in psychiatry, but at
present also in special and remedial pedagogy – as the special aesthetic
education – the means of educational rehabilitation of disabled individuals. In
art–therapy a product of the activity is not important, but important is the
activity itself – own creation which even without further processing
strengthens the awareness of one's own identity and reveals the inner world of
an individual. The quality or the completeness of fine art products are not
important. [4]
Practice, however, proves (1988 –
2009) that the result of properly realised art-therapeutic exercises and
fine art activities with mentally and in other way disabled individuals are
their fine art products which are worth of admiration, estimation and
presentation also in international forums.
The term art-therapy is derived form
the Latin word ars – art and the Greek word terape – treatment.
At the most general level it concerns so called “treatment by art”. In a wider
sense of the word it means the use of all kinds of art (fine art, music art,
literary art, theatre art). With education and treatment with use of art deals
a set of scientific disciplines (aesthetics, pedagogy – mainly special and
remedial pedagogy, psychology and medical sciences – first of all psychiatry. [16]
Hanus characterises art-therapy as an
organised therapeutic process of real individuals or groups led by a specially
trained person, art-therapist. It is used also for the remedial-pedagogical
purposes as the means of education and social integration. [7]
According to Zicha the term
art-therapy denotes the special fine art education (special aesthetic
education) which is different from fine art education in school practice. [6]
My first contacts with art-therapy
are connected with the period (1978-1988) when I started first direct contacts
with mentally and multiple disabled children which I taught, besides other
subjects, also fine art education. I found out very soon that it is the sphere
where the professional, sensitive and understanding conduct enables disabled children
a spontaneous manifestation of pleasure, self-reflection, playfulness, ability to communicate and
creativity. Through the experiments, often based on attempts and errors we
came to the certain empirical conclusions which we later verified also scientifically.
Today I know, that the accompanying sign of success in the correction of
personal development is the art-therapeutic approach.
In art-therapy it is necessary to
integrate knowledge of the above mentioned disciplines in the way of a positive
influence of aesthetic activities on the personality of disabled individuals.
In a narrower sense of the word the term art-therapy is used especially for the
correction in which the prevailing expressional means are fine art activities. Fine
art activities can be any fine art activities in practical, visual or verbal
form in which sensual perception, rational cognition are applied and
aesthetic relation to the reality is created. The importance of art-therapy
lies in diagnostic, relaxation, rehabilitation and remedial knowledge.
Art-therapy in educational rehabilitation of disabled individuals is first of
all aimed at:
*
self-control
* elimination of
communication barriers
* explanation of
situational changes in behaviour of an individual
* emotional development of
an individual
* elimination of neuroses
and various kinds of phobia
* revealing and
development of the creative potential in various kinds of art
* fixing of
self-confidence.
Art
therapy has its irreplaceable place in the above mentioned process, the quality
of which is influenced by the following elements:
* personality of a
pedagogue and environment
* appropriate goals
* appropriate choice of
fine art activities
* adequately selected form
of the art-therapeutic action
* adequate interpretation
of a product of the activity
* motivational character
of evaluation and the way how the fine art product of a
disabled person is used.
In art-therapy of children with
health limitations very important is first of all the appropriate choice of
fine art activity what demands not only a certain amount of the
professional erudition in the area of special education of disabled, but also
the ability to use the means of fine art communication. The choice of a theme,
technique, fine art materials and means must be done with regard to the kind
and level of disability, or multiple disability. Every art-therapeutic training
requires certain fine art skills and the ability to use the means of fine art
communication. In case of mentally disabled, or, multiple disabled individuals
these possibilities are very individual and limited. In introductory exercises
we therefore recommend to find out and select the appropriate as well as
inappropriate procedures individually by means of playing fine art activities,
especially decorative activities such as e.g.
* play with a point, line,
stain, colour in dry materials
* play with the same means
in wet materials
* play with surface and
shape
* play with modelling
materials.
To
the most frequently used techniques in art-therapy of disabled people belong:
* painting with a finger,
fingers, music-painting
* relaxing painting on a
blackboard, on a big paper surface, sand, snow
* modelling (clay, ceramic
clay, modelling materials DAS and JOVI, mock up
technique)
* simple techniques of
printing, monotype, printing from carton and textile
collage
* use of BODY-ART, POP-ART,
PERFORMANCE, HAPPENING. (4)
The aim of thematic drawing,
painting and modelling is to relieve emotional tension. Effective are group and
mass forms of fine art activities and drawing of children with a therapist,
relaxing painting with both hands on a big surface (pieces of a sponge dipped
in a colour), colouring of the drawing and its completing. The possibilities of
disabled population in this direction are limited only by use of harmful,
volatile and poisonous materials. In painting we use most of all food
colouring, finger colours, waxy reserve. Appropriate is the use of the glue
KLOVATINA (yellow thick liquid) which enables to experiment in various forms.
Very important in art-therapy are
relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, elements of autogenous training and
creative imagination, as well as simple physical exercises which come out of
yoga elements. Fine art activities represent many possibilities of realisation
and application of various combinations of art-therapy with music-therapy,
motion, dance, drama-therapy and bibliotherapy.
Every fine art activity, i.e. also
fine art activities in additional education and home environment with parents
and siblings can have therapeutic effects. For people, who are on various
levels in contact with disabled population, the diagnostic and communication
values of fine art expression is very important. In the drawings of disabled
individuals we often find such manifestations which they are not able or do not
want to express verbally. Fine art expression reveals many interesting
information about their individuality but also about their psychical state in a
certain moment. (4)
Not every individual, with regard to
his/her health limit, is able of fine art-aesthetic communication in
traditional techniques and materials and so we looked for new forms. Therefore
we joined the project INVOVEK. Our first outcome was a video record about the
use of a computer in fine art education in special school in Nová
Baňa and the demonstrations of fine art works realised in programmes KID
PIX, KLARIS WORKS, SKICÁR, MAĽOVANIE under the guidance of Mgr.
Karin Gažiovej. By the video
record we want to document that the investments used in the information and
communication technologies for multiple handicapped children are not vain and
they in a great measure contribute to the improvement of educational process.
We consider it necessary to stress that with regard to the impacts of disability – mostly caused by children's
cerebral palsy - unadjusted and unmodified conditions and improper methodical
procedure in work with a computer can be ineffective similarly as some fine art
techniques in traditional procedures. Therefore I present some of by us found out conditions necessary for the
successful application of the computer in special education:
- in some cases
* necessity to use folio
keyboards INTELIKEYS (part of the PC-MACINTOSH)
* necessity to slope the
surface of the keyboard – folio one and sometimes also
classic one
- and in some cases
* necessity to use the
covering with openings for the keyboard (the invention
and production of pedagogues from Special
primary school in Nová Baňa,
Slovakia, 2000) [5]
Information and communication technologies play in
education of disabled people an important role due to the fact, that while
intact individuals gain by their ability to work with the computer and
multimedia technology the so called second literacy, disabled and especially
multiple disabled individuals gain often the first and the only possible
literacy.
In our research
(1999-2009) we have also found out, that:
*
computers compensate the inability of fine art-aesthetic communication of
children with special educational needs in
some traditional procedures and
enable them to realise the surface fine art
techniques which they are not able to
manage in a traditional way because of
their disability.
A) Computational fine art techniques:
* computer drawing with shading
* computer painting
* decorative composition.
By use of the computer children gain
knowledge about the means of fine art-aesthetic communication and their
characteristics (point, line, surface, colour, contrast ...), they are
acquainted with the theory of colours – they learn to know and classify
colours, there also is realised the training in harmonising colours, training
of the contrast of warm and cool colours, contrast of bright and dark colours –
ranking of elements on the surface and their colour combinations.
Verified steps in
methodical approach:
Skicár and others.
barriers of expression – free scrawling,
filling of surface with colours, play
with the means of expression and
various relaxation techniques.
composition).
nature, still life, country, figure (use
of the pictorial icons from the offer).
to the given theme. [5]
B) Visits of virtual
galleries
– and with them connected chats about art
* http://www.imagine.com.ar/museos.htm//www.art-gallery.sk
* gaining information
about art styles and artists
*
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/1585/galeria.htm
* on-line participation
in the creation of pictures
* quick and comfortable
choice of cartoon pictures, icons
*
http://www.vse.cz/images/icons.html//www.galery.pubnet.sk/icom
* making collages from
pictures and settings
*
http://www.meat.com/textures (5)
Very important finding in our
research is the possibility of diagnosing, relaxation, rehabilitation and also
elimination of aggressive manifestations and tension of disabled people.
Success has been recorded also in elimination of phobia connected with graphic
expression and fine art communication.
The work with a computer should not
be only the work for work itself. Everywhere, where it is possible, it is
necessary to make an adequate use of the traditional fine art techniques and
materials. The computer should not be the aim. But if we learn to use it
effectively to the benefit of disabled and with disabled, it becomes an
efficient means of social integration and self-realisation of disabled people
also in the additional education. [5]
You surely agree with me that the
disabled do not need sympathy but equality of chances. I am very glad that
I can at this place see the professionals who are interested in social
integration of people with health limitations by means of fine art activities.
Today it is not rare in Slovakia to see the exhibitions of this kind. Our
disabled children have been for 11
years successful e.g. in the activity “Europe at school” and also in various
fine art salons organised by the Association for help mentally disabled in
Slovakia. [5]
There is sometimes a question
whether it is appropriate to speak in connection with mentally disabled about
art. Fine art expression of this society is by a French professional fine
artist Jean Revol characterised as
ART PUR – pure art. He
says that from hundred weak-minded individuals three or four are artists. (1) Porter
presents an assumption that in the population of talented people 5-10%
are disabled individuals. (10) Tyszkiewic in connection with their art
speaks about so called unexpected values. The occurrence of talented disabled
individuals confirm also other authors, e.g. Selfe, Navrátil and
others. [3]
From my point of view the artistic
expression of the above mentioned population is charming – by its special
character what is manifested first of all in composition, interesting
deformation and stylisation of forms, in colours, spontaneity, sincerity and
playfulness. Mentally disabled are usually titled as eternal children and
this characterises also their artistic creation. The great painter Picasso
in a certain period of his creation observed drawing children and he admitted
that he learned from them. In the artistic expression of mentally disabled with
the Dawn syndrome we e.g. recorded a frequent occurrence of signs of cubism –
an interesting stylisation and geometrization and a special preference of
colours. The works of children with health limitations radiates predominantly
positive energy and this is their most important contribution. [2], [6], [8]
Allow
me at the end to cite the already mentioned Jean Revol who says that “the
only difference between the art of weak-minded and the weak-minded art that too
often can be seen in galleries is that the latter are influenced by
theoreticians, aesthetics and by their conscious being which they are not able
to get rid of completely.” [1]
Bibliografia:
[1]
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sŕdc. I medzinárodná prezentácia
umenia handicapovaných detí a mládeže
v Poľsku. EFETA 3/1998, str.30,
Martin, Osveta 1998
[2]
Gregušová,H.-Horváth,J.: Preferencia farieb mentálne
postihnutých jednotlivcov
s Downovým syndrómom. Paedagogica specialis XX, Bratislava UK 1999
[3] Gregušová,H.: Výtvarné
aktivity mentálne postihnutých detí
predškolského veku.
Bratislava, Amos-PdF UK 2000, 2004
[4] Gregušová,
H.: Terapia przez sztuke, jako metoda rehabilitacji osób
z
uposledzeniem umyslowym. Swiatlo i
cienie 3/29, str.4-8. Kraków 2000
[5] Gregušová, H.: Aktuálny
stav a perspektíva využívania informačných a
komunikačných
technológií v špeciálnej edukácii na
Slovensku. In: Niektoré technologické inovácie v
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[6]
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postihnutých
jednotlivcov. (In. Vašek,Š.
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terapeutických
techník.) Bratislava, UK 1978 (skriptá)
[8]
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Downovým syndrómom, ktorí navštevujú
osobitnú školu. Otázky
defektológie VIII,
1976/77 č. 3, s. 132 - 140, č. 4, s. 152 – 163
[9] Pikálek,Š.: Výchovná
a pracovnorehabilitačná činnosť
u ťažko mentálne postihnutých.
Bratislava, PdF UK 1988
[10] Porterová,L.: Gifted young Children.
A guide for teachers and parents. Buckingam:
Open University 1999
[11] Read,H.: Výchova uměním.
Praha, Odeon 1967
[12] Spousta,V.: Krása, umenie a výchova.
Brno, MU-Kraví hora 1996
[13]
Vančová,A.: Edukácia viacnásobne postihnutých.
Bratislava, Sapientia 2002
[14] Vašek,Š.:
Špeciálna pedagogika. Bratislava, Sapientia 1996
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Hatos,Gy. a kol.: Pedagogika viacnásobne postihnutých. Bratislava,
Sapientia
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[16] Zicha, Z.:
Úvod do speciální výtvarné
výchovy. UK Praha, 1981 (skriptá)
[17]
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9. ročník osobitnej školy. Bratislava, PROXIMA 1994
[18] Internet:
www.infovek.sk, / www.infovek./ letná škola/
2.týždeň/ projekty. sk
Doc. PaedDr.
Hedviga Gregušová, CSc. works as a lecturer at the Comenius
University in Bratislava, Faculty of Education, Department of pedagogy of
mentally handicapped. Since 1988 she is active in lecturing and exercises in
teaching subjects fine arts expression, special didactics of fine arts
education and art-therapy aimed at the preparation of special pedagogues –
future teachers of fine arts education in special schools and establishments.
Adresa: Doc. PaedDr. Hedviga Gregušová, CSc.
Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave, Pedagogická fakulta
Račianska 59
813 34 BRATISLAVA
Slovenská republika
E-mail: gregusova@fedu.uniba.sk