Dance Teachers

Firstly, remember that not all disabilities are visible. Some students may also have an undiagnosed disability, or may not wish to disclose their disability diagnosis or label with you. This should not prevent them from accessing support. You don't need to know a diagnosis to be inclusive. Focus on responding to needs, strengths, and preferences in the moment.

Students are the best experts on themselves! Seek the student and their parents/caregivers' advice and guidance about the best way to support their access and inclusion. The AllPlay About Me form can support this process of communication.

Supporting inclusion in dance involves recognising and valuing the unique strengths, needs, and experiences of every student. As teachers and dance schools, you play a crucial role in shaping inclusive environments through your attitudes, language, and teaching choices.

The below provides some general principles to help foster inclusive, responsive, and respectful dance environments:

• Respect each student's autonomy by encouraging choice and self-expression.
• Avoid assumptions about abilities.
• Communicate directly and inclusively - include students in conversations that relate to them, and ensure communication is respectful and adapted to their preferred style or mode.
• Understand that engagement can look different for everyone; for example, validate diverse forms of participation—such as observing or fidgeting.
• Be responsive to varying needs (e.g., sound preferences, energy levels), which can differ among students and change for each student across time.
• Be flexible and adjust expectations based on an individual's energy or wellness on a given day.
• Inclusion is an ongoing, creative process that requires curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from students, ensuring that every class is a space where all students feel valued and empowered to participate in ways that work for them.

Explore information about different disability groups, how they might experience dance, and their support needs. The information covered is not designed to cover everything about a particular disability. We also acknowledge that we cannot provide an exhaustive list of disability experiences.

• Autism
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Intellectual Disability
• Developmental Language Disorder
• Cerebral Palsy
• Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Anxiety
• Blind & Low Vision
• d/Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Explore information about some common areas of support that students may need in dance.

• Social, emotional, and behavioural functioning
• Attention and regulation
• Language and communication
• Learning and memory
• Motor difficulties
• Vision and hearing
• Sensory processing differences
• Worries
• Pain, fatigue, and attendance

A buddy in dance supports a student's access, inclusion, and participation by working alongside them as a partner rather than assisting you, often becoming a mentor and creative collaborator. Buddies have played a crucial role in past AllPlay Dance projects.

Who can be a buddy?

A buddy in dance can be an older student, classmate, caregiver, or adult volunteer who supports a student's participation and inclusion. Some key criteria include:

• Age: ideally older than the student they are paired with (context-dependent)
• Dance experience: sufficient experience to support their partner
• Attitude and education: aligned with school culture and inclusion practices
• Working With Children Check (WWCC): must hold a current WWCC

In some instances, a formal buddy program may not be possible. Informal buddy arrangements can support participation through pairing students, small group activities, cooperative roles, and task adaptations.

The Benefits of a Buddy Program

One-on-one support from a buddy helps students participate, feel confident, and enjoy dance. Buddies may offer encouragement, physical guidance, creative collaboration, and access support while maintaining student autonomy.

AllPlay Dance: Buddy Professional Learning for Disability-Inclusive Dance course

They can also become a buddy in our AllPlay Dance studio classes using this link: https://redcap.helix.monash.edu/surveys/?s=HP7JE38JAL3RJFER