How to Enroll a Special Needs Teen in Dance Class

If you are seeking an artistic outlet for your special needs teen, dance is a good choice. The rhythmic patterns of music and movement often resonate at a deeper level than language or even pictures. Youth who can't remember written words will get a boost to their self-esteem when they recognize a melody or a beat and repeat the movements they have learned. You can enroll in classes adapted to a wide variety of disabilities, including the deaf and those in wheelchairs.

Instructions

Help a Special Needs Teen Gain New Skills in Dance Class

1. Try out music and movement with your special needs teen individually before you enroll her or him in a class. Play some music and wave your hands, sway or move around the room, encouraging the child to do the same. Take the child's hands and help him or her do all the movements. Try different styles and tempos of music to see what kind your child likes.

2. Call local dance schools to see what they offer. More and more standard schools are expanding to include those with special needs. Look for classes at your recreation center or through your child's school. Page through the local college extension course catalog to find dance courses.

3. Decide with your special needs teen how extensive a course you want. Some classes last only a few months and end with a small recital. Others are part of a larger program, continue indefinitely, involve extensive training and feature lengthy public performances.

4. Visit a class, look at facilities and interview teachers, just as you would with any school before you enroll your child. Evaluate the space, equipment and teaching style as to how appropriate they are for your child's specific strengths and weaknesses.

5. Confirm with the teacher that the students in your child's class are compatible. A class adapted to the deaf would not be suited to a teen with Down Syndrome or a spinal injury.

6. Work with your child to practice and develop a good attitude towards the dance experience.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to let your child try new things, especially in the arts. You may be surprised at the improvement a child makes in both physical and social skills.

• Simplified dance for the disabled is sometimes called "adapted rhythm and movement."

• Some dance schools that cater to special needs students are an extension of self-help movements and may make exaggerated claims.

• Ask specific questions about the dance teacher's training and experience in working with special needs children. "Wanting to help" is not sufficient. The staff must know what they are doing and have the credentials to prove it.