The most difficult task for my literature review for Module 2 was deciding which pieces to use out of the vast array that I had collected. My inquiry will encompass the opinions of dance teachers who have experience with people on the autistic spectrum. I felt, therefore that I wanted to choose pieces that showed people's different approaches to using movement for people with ASD.
The pieces I opted for gave me three different perspectives on using movement for people with ASD:
- 'Teaching Motor Skills to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders" by Teri Todd- a sport's science view
- 'Dance For Young Adults On The Autism Spectrum' by Lydia Hance'- a dance teacher's view
- 'The Dancing Dialogue' by Suzi Tortora- a dance movement therapist's view.
The sport's science view provided by Todd enabled me to get a fuller understanding of motor skill development.This was acquired partly from what Todd had written, but also from the extra reading that I did in order to gain further clarification of the terminology he used.
I made the observation, in my review of Todd's article, that it was, in my opinion, unclear who his target audience was. This made me reflect on my own enquiry and the importance of deciding exactly who it will be aimed at.
I began at the start of Module 2 by looking at the training aspect of dance teachers but my focus has shifted to look at the dance teaching experience for people with ASD. At the moment I am considering that from the perspective of the dance teacher and the pupil. I now wonder whether it might become necessary to narrow that down and focus on just one perspective so that it is clear who my target audience will be.
I began at the start of Module 2 by looking at the training aspect of dance teachers but my focus has shifted to look at the dance teaching experience for people with ASD. At the moment I am considering that from the perspective of the dance teacher and the pupil. I now wonder whether it might become necessary to narrow that down and focus on just one perspective so that it is clear who my target audience will be.
Hance's approach to the teaching of improvisation technique seemed to be similar to mine, in that she provided the students with a structure to guide them, but the response of the students was very different.This highlighted the fact that every student with autism is different and will respond in different ways to different aspects of teaching.
As with Todd's article, I felt that more information needed to be provided for the reader about the various conditions of autism that the students were affected by. I need to address this point for my own inquiry so that I provide my audience with as much background detail as possible in order to support my research.
Tortora's book provided me with a glimpse into dance movement therapy. I use the word glimpse because I realise, from the other literature I was directed to during my reading of this book, that dance movement therapy is a vast area of research and one which I will not have time to explore thoroughly for the purposes of my enquiry.
Tortora's book gave me the most food for thought, possibly because it is the area of study that I know least about. It made me reflect upon my own knowledge of Laban Analysis and it was interesting to see how it was used to provide qualitative research to help with the physical and psychological development of the children Tortora mentions in her book.
Throughout the literature review I found that I was comparing the dance teaching approaches to my own. This reminded me of the value that my own experience can bring to the inquiry. DeMarrais et al in "Foundations for Research: Methods of Inquiry in Education and the Social Sciences state:
"Although as a researcher you want to recognise the biases you bring to your research, you do not want to overlook the value of your own perspectives, which can lead to insights derived from a particular way of seeing." (2008, p 115)
In taking three different perspectives on the teaching of dance for people on the autistic spectrum I was able to make comparisons to see if any of the approaches were the same. What emerged strongly was the importance of the teacher pupil relationship and the need for mutual respect and trust in order to foster an environment in which the pupil could feel comfortable enough to begin to express him/herself through dance movement. When this was achieved positive results for the participants were recorded.
All three perspectives were from people who themselves had a great deal of knowledge about autism.This would seem to suggest that an in-depth knowledge of autism spectrum disorder is necessary in order to create a dance experience for a pupil with ASD that is enjoyable and one in which they can flourish. I am interested in exploring this idea.
Although it was not stated, the inference in Hance's article was that the students were at the mild end of the autistic spectrum. Tortora was working with people at the severe end of the spectrum who were non-verbal.The pupils in both Hance's article and Tortora's were taught in a special needs environment. Todd, on the other hand seems to be advocating an integrated approach to teaching people with ASD. I would like to get teachers' views on which method they implement and why.
This literature review has been invaluable. I had already collected a lot of information about my topic prior to commencing the review, but, in analysing the pieces I chose, I felt it necessary to search for other literature that would provide either further clarification of terminology, or greater insight into issues raised by the authors. As a result of this process I feel much better informed about my area of research. Considering the different teaching approaches for people on the autism spectrum has helped focus the direction of my inquiry and formulate my inquiry questions.
The questions I wish to ask as a result of my literature review are:
POSSIBLE INQUIRY QUESTIONS
- Do people with ASD benefit more from being taught dance in an integrated environment or in a special needs environment?
- Do dance teachers feel that they have sufficient knowledge of autism spectrum disorder and sufficient resources to provide the best dance experience for pupils with ASD?
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