ERIC Number: EJ1169258
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8650
EISSN: N/A
Can Sensory Gallery Guides for Children with Sensory Processing Challenges Improve Their Museum Experience?
Fletcher, Tina S.; Blake, Amanda B.; Shelffo, Kathleen E.
Journal of Museum Education, v43 n1 p66-77 2018
Children routinely visit art museums as part of their educational experience and family time, many of them having special needs. The number of children diagnosed with autism and sensory processing disorders is increasing. These conditions may include heightened sensory "avoiding" or "seeking" behaviors that can interfere with a child's ability to benefit from museum visits. Environmental modifications and sensory-based treatments are commonly used to support children with sensory processing disorders, but museum environments or programs cannot always lend themselves to being altered to provide optimal results. This research explored whether museum gallery guides for sensory "avoiders" and "seekers" could be utilized with children with sensory sensitivities to help them prepare for and participate in museum experiences. Results showed combining both sensory "avoiding" and "seeking" gallery guides into one sensory friendly gallery guide can have a positive impact on a child's museum experience. To achieve success, sensory gallery guides must be developmentally appropriate, provide structure for a gallery visit, facilitate active thinking, looking, and discussion, and showcase interesting gallery spaces providing a variety of sensory-rich objects. A bibliography is included.
Descriptors: Museums, Perceptual Impairments, Sensory Aids, Accessibility (for Disabled), Occupational Therapy, Field Trips, Case Studies, Interviews, Observation, Children, Adolescents, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Parent Attitudes, Program Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A