"Sometimes we need to go deeper in our education instead of higher".

Early in her career teaching kids with special needs, Beverly Levett Gerber had an unusual mix of children in her group with learning disability, behavioural problems and even some who were gifted.

"There were few things we could all do together but each one could do the art work at their own rate and level without distrupting the others". She is now a specialist in teaching both art and special education. Her approach is open-ended art, where kids are allowed express their own individualism rather than all taking part ina  project to produce examples of the same piece. Now retired, her lifelong work has been recognised with a "Beverly Levett Gerber Lifetime Achievement Award", presented annually to a outstanding special needs educator.

Her textbook, "Reaching and Teaching Students Through Special Needs Through Art", is already in its second print.

She herself was artistic from a young age and was studying art education when her own son, Larry was born with Down syndrome. Larry's condition caused her to switch the main focus of her studies to special education.  

Having a child with Down syndrome takes many parents down roads they never dreamt of travelling and another mother, Linda Thompson from Alaska, has written a book about her own experiences of life with her son, Erik, who has Down syndrome and autism and is also an artistic savant.  

"Erik's Life", published in May 2007 is to be followed soon with a sequel called, "It's Ok. Mom". The book relays the discovery of her son's considerable artistic talents and the work of nurturing this talent to a professional height.  Upon discovering Erik's aptitude, Linda refused to accept society's low expectations of those with Down syndrome and began talking to experts about how to help his talent develop. She kept a daily notebook tracking his progress which has formed the basis of material for her book.

Erik's artwork is now sold worldwide through the website www.brownbearproducts.biz and through galleries in Alaska.