Abstract Book of the 7th Global Conference on Education and Teaching
Year: 2025
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Creativity Performance of Neurodivergent Secondary Students
Marta Zaragoza-Zayas, Yolanda Echegoyen-Sanz and Antonio Martín-Ezpeleta
ABSTRACT:
Creativity assessment in education has gained considerable prominence, notably since its inclusion in recent PISA evaluations. Despite this, the study of creativity in students with special educational needs, particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), remains a relatively unexplored domain. This research analyzed the graphic creativity of 377 Spanish secondary students, comprising normodeveloped individuals, those with ASD, and those with ADHD. Data were collected using a graphic creativity test, validated for a Spanish sample and based on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, where students completed and titled four drawings initiated from provided strokes. The overall findings indicated a medium-low level of graphic creativity across the sample. Statistically significant deficits in graphic creativity were identified in students with ASD when compared to their normodeveloped peers, whereas no such differences were observed for students with ADHD. These findings are discussed from an educational perspective, emphasizing the critical role of developing tailored teaching strategies to nurture creativity in all students, irrespective of their individual neurodevelopmental characteristics.
Keywords: creativity, secondary education, ASD, ADHD