The effect of visual art activities on socialization and stress management of individuals with special needs

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the impact of visual arts activities on the socialization and stress management of individuals with special needs. This is a qualitative research study that employs "action research" and our data were collected based on the observations of teachers. Over a 20-week period, visual arts activities were carried out with 27 individuals with special needs, including six with autism, seven with Down syndrome, and 14 with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, who received education at the third level in the "Fehmi Cerrahoğlu Special Education Practice School" in Ordu province during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. The study group included a counselling teacher and 19 special education teachers, who observed the activities and their effects on the socialization levels and stress management of educable individuals with special needs. The data obtained from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Most of the participating teachers agreed that visual arts activities contributed to the socialization and stress management of individuals with special needs, and the study found that these activities played an important role in the inclusion of individuals with special needs in society and led to a decrease in stress symptoms.