IAA and DYS children

Adaptation of the school programs for DYS children, by using visual arts, and as an experiment
Testimony of a visual artist

During the Unesco Forum which was held at the Unesco Headquarters in December 2019, 'Challenging inequalities', a French visual artist proposed a learning method based on orality.

"First, were privileged 2D static supports: painting, drawing, photo, as well as static 3D supports: sculpture, in order to avoid distractions due to movement.
Thus, the writing is put at a distance, giving the child an environment that is both less anxiety provoking, and fun.
Once the concepts are acquired, you can move on to handwriting or to a computer keyboard.
DYS children are clever but they have a different mental structure. The approach of learning through art allows a different access to knowledge, this offering another equally solid cognitive strategy.

The great interest of this approach, in addition of having children happy to learn, is to approach art and History of art, as well as to situate the achievements in History. Priority was given to a chronological approach.
Meaning and coherence allows everyone to better take ownership of the acquired, from the moment when a logic is released.
By no dissociating major historical events and artistic productions in all its forms, the child naturally understands. Without realizing, he strengthens his ability to understand the world and to situate in it.

Visual artist, mother of a child with DYS disorders, after a collegial decision to take in charge the responsibility of my child's education via the official CNED, during five consecutive years, I ensured all of the learning. During the following years, I continued a "coaching" based on the same principles, till the Baccalaureat and BTS.
Concomitantly, I took care of DYS children and no DYS children around me. I noticed that my learning methods were also effective on NO DYS children.
My child was followed by many therapists: speech therapists, occupational therapists, child psychiatrists and school psychologists, school doctors, guidance counselors. We had established close relationships with each of them in order to access the achievements and to congratulate ourselves about the success that had resulted.
The results were very positive, and the diplomas successfully obtained, including Baccalaureat with one year in advance.

Schools can work with this method, with posters in classrooms for 2D visuals. It is not necessary to leave the building which entails considerable costs for the families as well well as for the schools.
Nor it is necessary to work with a museum sculpture. With imagination and good will, it is possible, inexpensively, to develop oral skills in learning. Changing the paradigms is enough.

However, and though the results were very satisfying, the fact that societies do not evolve, or very slowly, the children, once adults, always have problems to find their place in the professional world.
The more we'll bring efficiency to the learning methods, more we will allow them to be 'normal', and better they will be integrated and will find their place.
Art can allow that."

To get in touch with the artist, please mail: iaa.aiap@gmail.com