W17D84 (Thursday) Because I have so many different levels of students from the youngest (three years old) to13, as well as all levels of cognitive and behavioral ability abilities, I have needed ways of adapting the beginning of my class to give them both a challenge and consistent warm up. Something that my students with Autism can hold onto, has been an obstacle course. This is a device which requires focus. In any given they go across a balance beam, walking on tiles with locomotor and axial movement written on them, stepping stones which are various heights and hoops to jump into and out. The one way I found to challenge them, because as a warm up the obstacle course isn't substantially difficult. But the thing that does help them, I believe, is to slightly change the pattern of the parts of the course. The picture above shows how I arranged the obstacle course today. To perform something by rote is part of what makes dance a mastery art form. It also is also a mindful way of working, and I believe a way dance assists students who are cognitively impaired
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