Art Therapy Express Program, Inc., is a 7-year 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. ATE is an instructional art program that allows children, teenagers and adults with physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges to create meaningful works of art. Launched in 1997, ATE was the first mobile expressive arts program to serve individuals within Delaware schools, hospitals, community and nonprofit organizations. ATE received the MBNA Best Practices in Education Award for its program, acknowledged as “exemplary in nature, outstanding in execution and exceptional in results.” Throughout the years our program has brought professionals from all areas of the visual and performing arts to thousands of children and adults with special needs.
This year ATE has begun its most powerful initiative to make the arts accessible to all individuals with multiple and/or severe disabilities. On April 2, 2009 ATE opened the “Kaleidoscope Art Studio” housed at The Art Studio at the Absalom Jones Community Center. This is a collaborative venture between ATE and New Castle County’s Department of Community Services.
By creating powerful collaborations (see collaborations section), the Art Therapy Express Program enhances the learning capabilities of students by providing both therapy and education. The expressive arts program is designed exclusively for individuals with multiple and/or severe impairments: physical, mental or emotional, visual and hearing impairments, intellectual impairments, learning disabilities, communication disorders, autism, aspburgers syndrome, and terminal illnesses. By providing an original and innovative way of incorporating visual arts, creative movement, drama and music, we assure a sense of equality among all persons with differing abilities.
We remain dedicated to building a bridge between the student’s capabilities and his/her imagination and to provide a place where even the non-verbal individual, can speak through the arts. Our primary goal is to develop a teaching environment that shares knowledge and will subsequently support each school, hospital or community organization to thrive independently. Each program is designed to support individual student needs and we are committed to utilizing or creating adaptive technology that promotes student independence and participation.
Statistics show that the arts are essential for special education students in providing a nonverbal tool that increases self-esteem, communication, sense of self and empowerment for each participant. Art Therapy Express is unique and is dedicated to teaching technology and providing programs that support all individuals to communicate through the arts.
Website created, designed, and directed by Stephanie Bruno & Alexis VanSant of Delcastle Technical High School Digital Media
