https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/well/family/autism-children-dance.html
I really enjoyed this article. Autistic people are not known for our grace and coordination. Movement is for everyone, though, and apparently these ballet teachers have the patience, kindness, and background in special ed to make it work.
I'm reminded of my stint in dance skating. These were the four wheeled roller skates, at an old rink that had seen better days but was still kept up with care and love. I attended lessons with some friends there for a time. I started out fairly clumsy and terrible, but after months of trying (and bruises, and frustration), I was able to learn to skate on one foot and do simple jumps and tricks. This was not wholly because of my perseverance. It's because Breck, the teacher, was a patient and encouraging man.
I don't have the physique to be a competitive dance skater, and I never progressed beyond a certain level. But even as poorly coordinated as I started out, I learned. This was well into my teens, and past the point when I would be able to really change how I walked and moved overall. Imagine if I'd started younger.
Balance was always a tough problem for me. I've had to look carefully where to put my feet when I walk, since I was quite young. Even on sidewalks. I learned how to ride a bike, but it took me longer than most people, and there was a lot more fear and terror because of that whole "falling over" problem. Like riding a bike, skating is easier if you have some momentum to help stabilize you.
Dance skating mostly follows patterns and rules. I suppose ballet and classical dancing does as well, to some extent. I've read in various places that dance is absolutely fantastic for your health and wellbeing. In part because it has a spontaneous component, it's also good for your brain.
In addition, people feel better about themselves when they succeed at something they're invested in, in their lives. It increases their confidence and their belief in their own agency and ability to do things for themselves. This is particularly important for autistic people, whose confidence is regularly undermined by social difficulties
...I suppose you're never too old to try something new. Perhaps I should try some form of dance and combine exercise with leisure.
I really enjoyed this article. Autistic people are not known for our grace and coordination. Movement is for everyone, though, and apparently these ballet teachers have the patience, kindness, and background in special ed to make it work.
I'm reminded of my stint in dance skating. These were the four wheeled roller skates, at an old rink that had seen better days but was still kept up with care and love. I attended lessons with some friends there for a time. I started out fairly clumsy and terrible, but after months of trying (and bruises, and frustration), I was able to learn to skate on one foot and do simple jumps and tricks. This was not wholly because of my perseverance. It's because Breck, the teacher, was a patient and encouraging man.
I don't have the physique to be a competitive dance skater, and I never progressed beyond a certain level. But even as poorly coordinated as I started out, I learned. This was well into my teens, and past the point when I would be able to really change how I walked and moved overall. Imagine if I'd started younger.
Balance was always a tough problem for me. I've had to look carefully where to put my feet when I walk, since I was quite young. Even on sidewalks. I learned how to ride a bike, but it took me longer than most people, and there was a lot more fear and terror because of that whole "falling over" problem. Like riding a bike, skating is easier if you have some momentum to help stabilize you.
Dance skating mostly follows patterns and rules. I suppose ballet and classical dancing does as well, to some extent. I've read in various places that dance is absolutely fantastic for your health and wellbeing. In part because it has a spontaneous component, it's also good for your brain.
In addition, people feel better about themselves when they succeed at something they're invested in, in their lives. It increases their confidence and their belief in their own agency and ability to do things for themselves. This is particularly important for autistic people, whose confidence is regularly undermined by social difficulties
...I suppose you're never too old to try something new. Perhaps I should try some form of dance and combine exercise with leisure.
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