special needs

[Guest happycc]

I just wanted to happily announce that our dance academy is offering Creative Dance for Special Needs Children this summer 2004. Is a biweekly class and it will be a the San Ramon Valley Dance Academy in San Ramon, CA.

Phone number is 925-837-4656.

 

I sure wish they had this class when my son first started. It would have helped ease him in the dance program and a lot less tears. My son is doing so well now that I he wouldn't qualify but perhaps in a few years he could TA it.

 

The teacher is a friend of mine who herself has a child with special needs she is also the daughter of one of the four owners of the dance academy.

 

In the past the school hasn't exactly been really open to special needs kids so I nearly fell over when I saw this class offering. I hope it fills up so they will see there is a need for this and that special needs kids are not something people she lock up forever.

 

I think it is a result of seeing my son improve so much that they decided to provide this. They saw it with their own eyes how much he has grown, changed and developed with dance. He has grown in confidence as well. In fact one of the directors came up to me and told me that the teachers were really impressed with my son now and that he will be a part of a good group of kids and hopefully one day he will be in Company in a few years.

 

The first two years was rough for my son mind you. Lots of tears and rages and running out of class. He was difficult to teach in that he was slow in getting the concepts and steps and he has dyspraxia. He also had these strange tics that often showed up in his movements. He also had a speech problem in that he didn't get typical jokes, idioms, sayings, and slang etc not to mention the typical social scene that happens in dance classes. He freaked out when one of his friends corrected him -his friend was only helping him but he thought the child was being rude and my son just went off. My son tends to misread people's cues and intentions-everything has to be spelled out to him. Plus the endless questions and off topic statements drove the teachers nuts.

 

 

Nonetheless the studio was patient and he has come out shining. So I encourage as many special need kids to get into dance as possible and hoping more dance studios will be open to these kinds of kids. Heck it is a lot cheaper than OT and PT.

 

 

Carolyn

[citibob]

Sounds like your kid is on the autistic spectrum. I agree, dance can be a great thing for autistics, especially when you find a studio with a kind, caring environment.

[vagansmom]

Happycc, your post made my day! I am so happy that your son, by his example, has been an ambassador for special needs kids. What a wonderful program his studio is setting up! I hope you will keep us up to date with its progress. I teach special needs kids and agree wholeheartedly with you that dance training is an experience they should not be excluded from. Bravo to that studio and to you and your son for educating them!