‘Dance is something that anyone can do’: Creating dance programs for all abilities

ABSTRACT

Dance – created by a moving body over space and time – creates space for non-verbal communication and self-expression. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may particularly benefit from the use of their bodies to convey their needs and desires. This research presents the experiences of individuals involved in two recreational dance programs for young people with additional needs, specifically children with ASD as well as their mothers, dance instructors, and volunteers. This article presents the first of two themes that emerged from interviews with nine individuals (one child, three mothers, three instructors, three volunteers), which was Creating Dance Programs for all Abilities. The subthemes were Changing the Class to Fit the Student, Juggling Everyone’s Needs, and Volunteers Make It Possible. Practical applications based on this research are presented at the end in hopes that there are more opportunities for individuals with ASD and other special needs to experience the joy of dance.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• inclusive recreation
• phenomenology
• interviews

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nicole J. Reinders

Nicole J. Reinders, PhD Candidate*, Wilfrid Laurier University My primary research interest is exploring the effects of recreational physical activity and dance programs for disabled individuals, including young people with Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. I have conducted both qualitative and quantitative research methods and am currently conducting mixed methods research. I have been a dancer and dance instructor for the majority of my life and hope that my research will help to make recreational dance classes more accessible to people with disabilities.

Pamela J. Bryden

Pamela J. Bryden, PhD, Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University My program of research is an attempt to understand lateral preference and performance first from a bottom-up perspective to determine the motor requirements for particular tasks, and secondly, from a top-down perspective of how the brain is lateralized for skilled movement. My research to date has attempted to answer why there is a preferred-hand advantage in motor tasks and how this advantage is related to hand preference, in order to understand handedness and manual asymmetries, as well as how the hemispheres are organized for motor control in complex, goal-directed movement. In the last several years, I have focused my research on the development of handedness across the lifespan, in typically-developing individuals and those with developmental disabilities.

Paula C. Fletcher

Paula C. Fletcher, PhD*, Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University My research is broadly focused in health, chronic illness, disability and caregiving. Specifically, I use qualitative methods to explore the “lived experiences” of individuals with chronic conditions (e.g., pediatric cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease) and/or disabilities (e.g., autism). These experiences are examined from the views of the diagnosed individual, their family members and health care professionals.