Special Education

Students with FAS/E can bring creative, musical and artistic gifts to your classroom. Although the participation of the student with FAS/E may sometimes be limited by the child's special needs, teachers can develop creative ways to include these individuals in the study of all fine arts subject areas. Many activities are as naturally integrative as the subject areas are to each other. Dance, drama, music and the visual arts are so rich in their experiences and forms of communication that a student with FAS/E should be included as much as possible.

Progressing through the fine arts curriculum involves:

• developing the “expressive” experience,
• knowledge of facts and principles of artistic design gained through ongoing active participation,
• using fine arts literacy to extend skills in creating and performing, and
• increasing the variety of contexts and media in the expression of an expanding range of thoughts, images and feelings.

Music

Music education enables the student’s body, mind and spirit to interact with sound. As a form of communication, creating, performing and listening to music can help the student with FAS/E to perceive, explore, communicate and reflect upon thoughts, feelings, images and ideas without necessarily having to express them in written form.

Dance

Dance education provides a student with opportunities to transform images, ideas and feelings into gesture and movement sequences. Dance can also give the student with FAS/E another “language” for communication. Some children with FAS/E may have significant delays in gross and fine motor skill development which can influence their acquisition of skills; however, given some freedom to adapt their movements, dance education also provides opportunities to develop the student’s self-expression, cooperation skills and appreciation of their own and other’s abilities.

Drama

Drama education provides a student with opportunities for creative expression and to understand and appreciate the differences between people. For the student with FAS/E, drama can be an appropriate outlet and important area for personal and social development. Role-plays, skits, short plays are powerful instructional techniques for both exploring and examining situations, experiences (both positive and negative) and roles. They can be used to make choices, resolve conflicts and encourage taking responsibility for one’s own actions in a safe and supportive environment. Drama education provides an opportunity to teach the difference between appropriate and inappropriate social and interpersonal behaviours, communication skills and work behaviours. In this way, students can be prepared for present and future challenges.

Visual Arts

Visual arts education provides a student with opportunities to both create and experience the power of the visual image. Given the opportunity to create and communicate through images, students with FAS/E can produce remarkable self-portraits and descriptive designs.