Teaching monotype printing to educable children with intellectual disabilities in Egypt

Abstract EN

Today, the importance of catering to children with intellectual disabilities and those with special needs cannot be overemphasized.

Like most Middle Eastern and developed countries, Egypt is keen on providing all needed services to children with special needs and to help them reach their potential, which is also one of the Egyptian state’s national development goals.

This research aimed at fostering the artistic skills of children with intellectual disabilities through teaching them monotype printing.

It was conducted on children with an IQ between 50 and 80, considered ‘educable’ at an Egyptian government school for children with intellectual disabilities.

This practice-based research explores the process of teaching artistic skills through the craft of monotype printing, with the goal of children producing portraits of a family member.

Finally, the results of the experiment will be presented to demonstrate that encouragements and giving this group of students the opportunity for free self-expression without setting any restrictive rules helped them not only develop their creative skills and raise their self-confidence but also boost their sense of independence.

Arts can help children with intellectual disabilities express themselves among others, that is, their peers, without judgment, as they are develop their own form of expression.

By introducing a specific craft to these children, it was found that they are capable of creating artworks and that they need to be both supported and challenged to excel thus improve their own lives and leave their mark on their community.