Getting Children With Learning Disabilities Involved With the Arts
Tilda Moore
tildam@openeducators.org
In the United States, 14.4 percent of students were in a special education program. Among disabled students, 33 percent of them had learning disabilities specifically. If your child has ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or another learning disability, getting them involved in arts could be a great idea. Arts and crafts have a positive impact on people with learning disabilities. It’s a great option for self-expression, giving them a new way to share their thoughts.
Luckily, there are plenty of simple ways to help get kids with learning disabilities involved in the arts. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are some tips from LDASC (Learning Disabilities Association of South Carolina).
Visit Your Local Museums
One of the easiest ways to expose a child to the wide world of art is with a trip to a local museum. It lets them see what other people have created, serving as a source of inspiration. Since many kids with learning disabilities can get overwhelmed at museums, you want to plan your visit in advance. You could let your child look at some of the artwork online, allowing you to gauge which styles interest them most. Then, focus on that part of the museum only.
Head to a Concert in the Park Event
While some children may gravitate toward visual art, others may find sound more intriguing. One great way to expose your child to more kinds of music is with concert-in-the-park events. You can find out if a particular interest or genre piques their interest. If so, you could think about getting them a starter version. One of the benefits of a concert in the park event is that it tends to be family-friendly. You’re outdoors and near open spaces. If your child loses focus, you can simply head to another area, allowing them to play or participate in another activity.
Start Doing Arts and Crafts Together at Home
If you have a child with a learning disability, one of the easiest ways to introduce them to the arts is to do fun projects at home. Many arts and crafts activities are simple to guide kids through and only require some basic supplies. As a result, most parents can tackle the projects with ease.
Along the way, spend time doing the art project with your child while giving them some basic guidance. That way, they have space to create but also access to help when needed.
Bonus Tip: Take It to the Next Level
If you discover that you genuinely love teaching arts and crafts to your child, you may have stumbled upon a tremendous income-boosting opportunity. You could bring in more students, turning the sessions into a side hustle, or go the extra mile and launch your own company.
In many cases, starting a home-based teaching business isn’t as tough as you’d expect. Begin by choosing a business structure, such as an LLC. With an LLC, you may get some nice tax advantages. Plus, you get a ton of operating flexibility while reducing your liability.
As you prepare to launch your company, make sure to review LLC laws in SC to familiarize yourself with the requirements and process. By doing that, you may discover that hiring an attorney and paying high lawyer fees to get your LLC in South Carolina off the ground isn’t necessary. Instead, you may be able to use a formation service or handle the work yourself, saving a pretty penny
