ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests directions for the future research in the arts and special education. While there is a long history of research in special education, research on arts integration and special education are a relatively new field, and one that mirrors research on the arts and human development more generally. The field has exhibited some parallels with research in the arts and human development more generally an increasing focus on academic and social development, as one observation. James S. Catterall Centers for Research on Creativity (CROC) have built assessments of creative self-efficacy, collaboration, and empathetic orientations into the Next Generation Creativity Survey, commissioned by the Walt Disney Company and piloted with 2,500 students in arts and science programs between 2012 and 2014. This work is generating enthusiasm both among scholars seeking to understand processes of creative development and also program leaders and teachers who want to understand and improve their programs when it comes to cultivating creative problem-solving skills and motivations.
