What does the Research Say about Visual Arts-Based Interventions?

1. Art creates natural, motivating opportunities for peer interaction  - Collaborative art tasks naturally increase reciprocal social interactions, allowing for authentic, purpose-driven communication (Boster et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2024)

2. Strength and interest-based art activities remove communication pressure and create safe, motivating environments for social growth - when students feel motivated and competent at a task, they are more likely to initiate, respond, and maintain communicative interactions (Boster et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2024)

3. Art naturally supports joint-attention, problem solving, and shared meaning making - collaborative creation requires joint planning, clarifying messages, repairing misunderstandings, and sequencing steps (Boster et al., 2021)

4. Art allows SLPs to reduce prompting and promote authentic, self-directed communication - Interactions emerge naturally through collaborative task demands and did not require adult prompting (Boster et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2024)