Art therapy for children with disabilities has long been a popular approach to creating opportunities for creative expression, and, let’s face it, fun. One organization, VSA arts, has gained international recognition among art therapy and disability programs, however, for its innovative, high-standards approach for connecting children with disabilities to their inner artist.

A visit to the VSA arts website quickly reveals the breadth and scope of its impact:  a slideshow delivers pictures of every kind of art imaginable -- all performed or created by people of all abilities.  From wheelchair dancing to painting to acting, VSA arts clearly honors its message of creativity and artistic inclusion.  Since its inception in 1974, VSA arts has continued to expand the impact of that message, now including millions of people throughout the U.S. and 60 countries worldwide.

Taking Art Therapy to the Next Level: Bringing Opportunities to Kids
Whether your child is interested in writing, painting, theater, music, dance, sculpting, or even being a stand-up comedian, VSA arts is there for support.

That support may be in the form of teacher training, classroom or after-school programs, community outreach, collaborative funding opportunities, or other initiatives. Through these efforts, the organization aims to nurture the creative instincts and imaginative spark of every child and adult with a disability.

Although its reach is international, VSA arts generally focuses on impact at the local level. The Washington, DC-based program has at least one (and often several) affiliate groups in almost every state; to find the VSA arts program in your area go to  United States Affiliates and check your state listing. But VSA arts also sponsors several annual national competitions, encouraging artists across multiple disciplines to submit their best work for professional review.

In addition, if you’re a parent trying to figure out how to best support your child’s artistic interests, VSA arts publishes several excellent resources, Express Diversity! and Start with the Arts at Home: Encouraging Reading Using the Arts – A Parent’s Resource, to help you get started. There are also multiple curriculum resources available for teachers in the site’s Resources section.

Inclusion Drives VSA Arts Mission
How did this terrific program get started? When Jean Kennedy Smith founded VSA arts, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and one of the country’s most successful disability programs, her goal was to provide people with disabilities unlimited access to the diverse world of artistic expression.  Her mission:  “Inclusion teaches us that all means all. No exceptions.”  This idea even resonates in the VSA arts mission:

•    Vision of an inclusive community
•    Strength through shared resources
•    Artistic expression that unites us all

In addition, Kennedy Smith’s original vision became embedded in the organization’s four central principles, which state that:

•    All children with disabilities should have the chance to participate in the arts.
•    All art teachers should be able and willing to bring children with disabilities into their classroom.
•    Everyone, regardless of ability, should have total access to cultural art opportunities.
•    Anyone with a disability who wishes to have a career in the arts should be allowed to pursue this path.

Getting Involved with VSA Arts
One of the most popular disability programs, VSA arts is a highly effective testament to the fact that art shouldn’t be regarded as an insignificant extracurricular activity; rather, it should be an integral part of education for children with disabilities.  However, as a nonprofit organization, VSA arts relies on volunteers, donations, and sponsorships for funding.  To get involved and/or lend your support, visit http://www.vsarts.org/.

Resources
Art Therapy
Good overview of art therapy, although written more for practitioners than for parents.
American Art Therapy Association
Information about art therapy as a profession.
Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc.
Database of credentialed art therapists by name and/or location.