Abstract:

Psychological and social support for students is a key aspect of achieving academic success, but also of creating high-quality, mutually enriching, and full-value relationships between all actors of education process. Through the analysis of empirical and theoretical findings, the study tries to demonstrate the potential possibilities of artephyletics in the field of supporting emotional and social skills. Students with learning disabilities often suffer from feelings of inferiority to an increased extent, face a high risk of problematic behaviour and have difficulties in social interactions. Artephyletics helps to develop self-esteem, empathy, regulate emotions and gain confidence in one's own abilities. Among other things, it develops communication, cooperation, and group cohesion.

The aim of the presented study is therefore to contribute to the improvement of the system of support for students with learning disabilities. It also includes a proposal for targeted artephyletics activities as a supporting psychosocial construct. Students with learning disabilities often do not match the usual didactic methods and ways of conveying the subject matter. Their brain works differently, but regular educational system is usually not adapted to it. It is well known that learning disabilities are closely associated with a higher level of creativity and the so-called artistic talent. Various research have proven that art school students have a lower level of phonological skills, or have diagnosed learning disability (Wolf, Lundberg, 2002). Chakravarty (2009) speculates about the fact that people with learning disabilities often have unconventional ideas or come up with new ways of solutions. Artephyletics combines art and education and supports the development of students' strengths, and at the same time acts as a preventive measure against emotional and psychosocial problems to which students with learning disabilities are prone.

Keywords:

Students, Artephyletics, Psychosocial Support, Learning Disabilities, Creativity, Art Education.