Fostering Creativity in Handicapped Children

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of creativity as a goal of adapted physical education, to describe assessment techniques, and to suggest instructional approaches for developing creativity in the movement setting. Creative behaviors that can be developed in handicapped children and youth include fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, risk-taking, courage, curiosity, and imagination. Research on creativity and handicapped children is identified and cited. Assessment instruments reviewed are Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Wyrick Test of Motor Creativity, Torrance Test of Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement, TWU Motor Creativity Rating Scale, and Brennan Test of Creative Motor Performance. Instructional approaches described are dance and movement education, games analysis intervention, and shared decision-making versus teacher decision-making. Also discussed are modeling and the influence of specific teaching behaviors on handicapped children’s classroom responses.