These are the questions discussed at a meeting of educationists, artists, theatre professionals and other professionals who gathered to think about ways we can design art and education for non-neurotypical children. I will update this blog as we find more ideas and references.
- How do we recognise and understand the special needs of children?
- How do cultural spaces like Ranga Shankara and others create programmes that make art more accessible for non-neurotypical children?
- Should art for non-neurotypical children be an individual experience or be a community experience?
- How do we think about the issue that children with special needs will become adults with special needs?
- Why are the differences between non-neurotypical and neurotypical children highlighted and the commonalities ignored?
- How can we we ensure that all classes of children learn from each other?
- How can we incorporate more human in stories and art designed for non-neurotypical children?
- What is the level of our preparedness to handle and care for non-neurotypical children at the ground level in terms of facilities and training?
- How practical or beneficial is it to have a single classroom or theatre for all classes and kinds of children?
- How do you raise children at home and school so that they celebrate differences so that they work and play together with a broad range of children?
- How do we enable children with special needs not only from just a functional perspective but also from a holistic perspective? How do we look at the whole picture when it comes to special children?
- Why cant a child “just be”? Why do we expect children “to be something”?
- How can we discover the abilities of special children?
- What is the right time for the child to compete?
- How do we enable kids with special needs to overcome social anxiety?
- Do we have to re-examine the whole labelling paradigm for special children? For eg. “Special needs”, “Differently abled”, etc.
- Who do we work with to create an inclusive space for special children which is sensitive to their needs?
- How do we combat adult age privilege and create safe spaces for children where they can vocalize and explore?
- If mainstream education does not foster creativity, how should we create a space where non-neurotypical children and neurotypical children can come together to create art?
- Is integration of special needs children inside the mainstream really possible?
- As a parent how do I make it possible for my child to interact better with special children?
- How can parents and schools work together to get better outcomes for special children?
- How can we design activities that are inclusive where a variety of kids with different abilities can come together to create something by contributing in their own way?
Must reads:
- THE EDUCATIONAL TYRANNY OF THE NEUROTYPICALS by Joi Ito- https://www.wired.com/story/tyranny-neurotypicals-unschooling-education/