Open Forum

I have a wheelchair bound student with Cerebral Palsy in my advanced acting class. I am told all cognitive reasoning is present, but she really struggles with verbal communication. I have no doubt that this will work out and that she will have a great experience in the class. I am also confident in my other students' ability to  be inclusive as we work on our projects throughout the year. 
I am curious about how to best teach and help her. We are working on duo scenes to start the year and then we go into monologues and audition prep. Partnering her will be tricky. I also don't want other students to miss out on the experience of onstage relationships and high-stakes dramatic work. 
Curious what have others done given this situation? Specifically what have you done to differentiate lessons to accommodate a non-verbal communicator in an acting class?

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Scott Hasbrouck
George Washington HS
Denver, CO
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When we do scene work, I have two groups on each scene, that way if someone if absent, their partner can work with the other group. Sometimes I will have them switch partners for a class, and they also perform for the other group before performing for me. Depending on her verbal abilities, maybe her partner does a modified version of the scene with her and the full scene with the other person.

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Ken Buswell
Drama Teacher
Peachtree City, GA
http://mcintoshtheater.org/

Theater kills ignorance
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2019 11:15
From: Scott Hasbrouck
Subject: Student with Cerebral Palsy

I have a wheelchair bound student with Cerebral Palsy in my advanced acting class. I am told all cognitive reasoning is present, but she really struggles with verbal communication. I have no doubt that this will work out and that she will have a great experience in the class. I am also confident in my other students' ability to  be inclusive as we work on our projects throughout the year.
I am curious about how to best teach and help her. We are working on duo scenes to start the year and then we go into monologues and audition prep. Partnering her will be tricky. I also don't want other students to miss out on the experience of onstage relationships and high-stakes dramatic work.
Curious what have others done given this situation? Specifically what have you done to differentiate lessons to accommodate a non-verbal communicator in an acting class?

------------------------------
Scott Hasbrouck
George Washington HS
Denver, CO
------------------------------

Original Message------

I have a wheelchair bound student with Cerebral Palsy in my advanced acting class. I am told all cognitive reasoning is present, but she really struggles with verbal communication. I have no doubt that this will work out and that she will have a great experience in the class. I am also confident in my other students' ability to  be inclusive as we work on our projects throughout the year. 
I am curious about how to best teach and help her. We are working on duo scenes to start the year and then we go into monologues and audition prep. Partnering her will be tricky. I also don't want other students to miss out on the experience of onstage relationships and high-stakes dramatic work. 
Curious what have others done given this situation? Specifically what have you done to differentiate lessons to accommodate a non-verbal communicator in an acting class?

------------------------------
Scott Hasbrouck
George Washington HS
Denver, CO
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