ARTicle: Voices gained through art

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Voices gained through art

Students from Laguna Hills school overcome learning obstacles to display art at county exhibition.

By SAM MILLER

The Orange County Register

Communication doesn't come easy for many of the students at New Vista, a Laguna Hills school for students with high-functioning autism, Asperger's syndrome or other special needs.

"In a different era, these kids' value would be prized highly because of the positive value, and the different perspective, they bring to people," said Steve Ballaban, head of the school.

But, he said, "people forget there's a person in there."

In art class, though, the obstacles disappear. Art teacher Renuka Pillai's students paint abstract images, sketch favorite Disney characters, experiment with melted crayons and make telling self-portraits.


(full article)