1. The Art Program at Cotting School
Cotting’s Art Program is designed to nurture students’ creativity, to promote self-expression, and
to foster the development of art appreciation and aesthetic growth. Students are encouraged to
discover their creative style by expressing their own ideas or interpretations of specific concepts
through a variety of media, through development of technical skills, and through exposure to a
variety of artists and related subject matter. With this philosophy in mind, the Massachusetts
Curriculum Frameworks standards are adapted and modified to best fit classroom needs at all
levels.
Given the diversity of our students’ learning styles, flexibility in meeting the individual needs of
each student is essential. This is accomplished by presenting the curriculum at various entry
points that are appropriate for each student’s learning. Lessons are planned that pertain directly
to students by using subject matter or themes that are part of their everyday experiences,
including interdisciplinary projects, integrated curriculum planning, current events, multicultural
learning, popular culture and personal themes.
These lessons are enriched with simple concrete language, visual references, teacher
demonstrations, and examples of artists’ prints, other students’ art, and repetition in a way that is
meaningful to the students. Adaptive teaching methods and materials, low- and high-tech
adaptive equipment, the support of communication and occupational therapies and other
methodologies of teaching are also implemented on a continuum throughout the academic year.
Founded in 1893 by Children’s Hospital orthopedic surgeons Doctor Bradford and Thorndike,
Cotting is a Department of Education-certified day school for children with a broad spectrum of
learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges, and complex medical conditions.
Cotting School enables students with special needs to achieve their highest learning potential and
level of independence.
Rosanne Trolan, Art Instructor
Cotting School 453 Concord Avenue Lexington MA 02421 (781) 862-7323
www.cotting.org