I decided to trial a semi- structured interview with one of my colleagues on Skype in order to see if this approach was suitable for me to adopt for my inquiry.
The questions I asked were all in relation to the dance teaching experience for people with ASD.
Below are some of the questions I asked and the answers she gave:
SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW WITH COLLEAGUE
Q: Have you got experience in teaching dance to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder ?
A: Yes I have taught several children in my dance classes over the years who have been at the mild- mid range of the autistic spectrum.
Q: What age were these children?
A: They ranged in age from 6 - 16 years.
Q: Did you integrate the children with ASD into your usual classes?
A: Yes
Q: Did this present you with any challenges?
A: One or two.
Q: Can you tell me about some of these challenges and how you overcame them?
A: The first pupil I taught with ASD was reticent to join in when it came to partner or group work and hid in the corner of the room. I overcame this by telling my pupils who to work with whom rather than giving them a choice so that I made sure the pupil with ASD was never left out. I always rotated the groupings and this way the pupil got to know the rest of the class members and ceased to feel isolated. Once I could see the pupil had gained confidence and felt accepted by the other class members, I was able to allow the class to make their own choice of groupings. I have used this strategy ever since and it has worked well, not just with pupils on the autistic spectrum but with all shy new comers into the classes.
There was a little boy once who, when he first came into the class, ran round and round in circles and didn't want to stand in line with the others. I had to adapt my warm up to make it into a game so that all the children began by running in a circle to the music and when the music stopped the person who was the stillest would get a sticker. Gradually I changed it from running in a circle to running, follow my leader style, in a pattern and then changed the running to incorporate other movements such as skipping and jumping. This way the child learned that he had to follow instructions and soon settled down.
Q: What age was this little boy?
A: He was 6 years old.
Q: How did the rest of the children in the class respond to these warm up games?
A: They really enjoyed them and we were able to develop the game so that they added their own ideas to the follow my leader approach.
Q: Did the little boy also contribute his ideas?
A: Not initially, but, once he understood what was required, he did contribute and was very enthusiastic about it.
Q: Did he respond well to the rest of the class?
A: Yes. At first his attention would wander about half way through the class and I had to work hard to keep him stimulated and motivated, but, as the weeks wore on, his attention span increased and he became very involved in the whole class.
Q: So would you say that the dance classes helped him?
A: Most definitely and in fact his parents said his teachers at school had noticed a real improvement in his school work since he started dance classes.
Q: Did you find that the all the pupils with ASD that you taught benefited from your dance classes and, if so, how did they benefit?
A: Yes. Parents often remarked that they had noticed an improvement in their child's confidence and social skills. I could also see a marked improvement in the co-ordination of some of my pupils.
Q: Did all the pupils you taught have co-ordination difficulties?
A: No, some were very co-ordinated and showed great potential for dance. Every child was different.
Q: You mentioned the parents' responses- do you liaise frequently with the parents of pupils with ASD?
A: Yes I feel that it is really important to involve the parents so that I know what they enjoy and what causes them distress so that I can try to provide them with the best experience that I can in my dance classes.
Q: Did you find that having a pupil with autism in your classes was detrimental to the rest of the class members or beneficial?
A: I certainly don't think it has been detrimental in any way. I would say that it has been beneficial because it encouraged me to think outside the box a bit when teaching. For instance some people with autism respond to visual stimulus so I take photographs in to illustrate some of the dance positions I want the children to do and occasionally I show them video clips. All my pupils have responded well to these approaches.
Q: Would you say then that including people with ASD in your dance classes had been a positive experience for you?
A: Yes I think it has made me a more creative teacher.
CONCLUSION
I am aware that conducting an interview in person will be more difficult than a Skype interview because the interviewee might be nervous and their responses may be influenced by their desire to be seen in a positive light. Despite this I think it will provide me with valuable insight into my research into the dance learning experience for people with ASD.
No comments:
Post a Comment