Co-Lecture: Use of Clay in Working With Emotionally Disturbed Students An exploration of the most common types of emotional disturbances found in our schools, and a presentation of useful activities with clay that fosters self-expression and discussion within the context of a class of typical students.

1. Use of Clay With
Emotionally Disturbed
Students
Linda Keck and Frank Mariano

2. Pittston Area School District
 Our thanks to the Pittston Area School District in
Pittston, PA for allowing us to work with their
teachers and students during the current school year.
 Elementary, Middle and High School

3. Incidence of Emotionally
Disturbed Children
 In American Schools, 12-14% of the student
population is identified as having special needs.
 Of the total special education population 7-8% are
identified as Emotionally Disturbed.
 Approximately 1:100 Students are therefore
identified as having some type of Emotional
Disturbance.

4. National Alliance on Mental
Illness
 “Mental illness are conditions that disrupt a person’s
thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others,
and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder
of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical
conditions that often result in a diminished capacity
for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

5. Common Specific Conditions
 Bipolar Disorders
 Anxiety Disorders
 Conduct Disorders
 Eating Disorders
 Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
 Psychotic Disorder

6. IDEA Definition of
Emotional Disturbance
 ….a condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time
and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance:
 An inability to learn that cannot be explained by
intellectual, sensory, or health factors
 An inability to build or maintain satisfactory
interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(continued)

7. IDEA Definition, cont’d
 Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under
normal circumstances.
 A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or
depression.
 A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears
associated with personal or school problems.
 Just not apply to children who are socially
maladjusted.

8. The High School
 Class size ranged from 6-8 students.
 Total students exposed to program 12.
 4 classes for 30 minutes each.
 The “Blind Bird” exercise.

9. Blind Birds-HS

14. The Middle School
 Class size ranged from 3-4 students.
 Total students exposed to the program, 7.
 Four classes for 30 minutes each.
 The “Blind Bird” exercise.

15. Blinds Birds-MS

18. Elementary School
 Class sized ranged 8-9.
 Total students exposed, 11.
 Four classes for 30 minutes each.
 Pinch Pots.

19. Pinch Pots-Elementary

20. Tiles-All Levels

24. Some Finished Work

29. Conclusions
Some things we could have done differently:
 Learn a little more about the students prior to
starting the activities.
 Would have has the aides and other adults in the
elementary class be more involved in order to better
support the students.
 Be more prepared for the high degree of “mobility”
of the classes.

30. Some things we did well:
 Able to work in 30 minute periods.
 Visit each class and be totally portable (even without
a sink in the high school class).
 Activity took place in during the social skills
development part of the school day, and the activity
was complementary to that part of the schedule as
the students were generally cooperative and
compliant, receptive to us and the activity, and
supportive of each other

31. Some positive outcomes:
 Students did use the clay to express themselves in
the content of the class and class rules.
 Students looked forward to the activity.
 Many staff found it motivating and participated in
the activities.
 Students enjoyed having the adults try and enjoyed
their successes and shortcomings.