Help/Advice Please! Special needs student in my class

[ireniecat]

I'm in a bit of an awkward situation. Would like to get your thoughts and wisdom. I teach salsa and ballroom group classes at a performing arts studio. They offers music and dance classes, mostly for kids. Last week, as I arrived at the studio, the owner was chatting with a mom and her 4 kids. She was signing them all up for various lessons (ballet, piano, etc). One of the kids was older, and they talked him into trying out my adult tango class that night. Great, another lead!

But... it turns out this boy has some special needs. I'm not sure what exactly, but motor skills/body awareness are quite limited. He could not cleanly alternate feet right/left nor hold up his arms to create a frame. Executing a pattern was out of question. Since there are more ladies than men in my class, I usually lead. But in this case, I ended up dancing with the boy the whole time, as I could not put him into the rotation.

He was a nice boy, apologized each time he stepped on my feet, and at the end of the class said he had fun. I would have no problems working with him in a private lesson... and I do think I could make some progress with him.

At the end of the class, the mom admitted tango is too hard for him. So they are looking at placing him and his brother in the Kid's Latin Mix (salsa, merengue) class. (The family is Hispanic, and they want the boys to be able to dance at parties, so ballroom would not have really met their needs anyway.) This is a brand new class at the studio this session, and right now there is only one other interested student. So it would be good way to get the class going.

However, I think it's quite inappropriate to have the boy continue in a group class at all. Firstly, he will not be learning at a pace appropriate for him. And secondly, it disrupts the rest of the group. If it's just he and his brother for now, that might be OK. But what will happen when there are other students?How does one structure a class around this? What do you think? Is this something that should be my responsibility to handle, or should it be up to the studio owner to prevent this kind of situation?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[fascination]

IMO, it is officially up to the owner, whose opinion I would seek...and I would offer my own view that it will do more harm than good for the young man's esteem to participate in the group and would require too much personalized attention for it to be fair to others...my thought would be to have that conversation with the mom...to say that while it is just her boys you think the group will work but that, unless something drastically changes, you think it might be best for the boys to take a private together to work on their steps...as you can then alternate between the two and one is not singled out...then as one is more proficient and time goes on, they can make some choices about group settings....but ultimately, I think you need to consult with the owner about how to proceed

[Warren J. Dew]

Does he alternate his feet when walking? I bet he does, in which case the problem is not that he can't alternate feet.

My guess is that he's having trouble with foot closures or unweighted foot movements, and that's true of a substantial proportion of complete beginners. Plus, it sounds like he might be old enough to be completely distracted by having someone female in his arms. It's also worth remembering that the majority of women who start ballroom have had ballet classes or some other form of dance as little girls. The same is not true of the men.

Changing dances might help with the foot closures. Get him to move his body forward into the lady with his standing foot rather than reaching out with his moving foot to fix the problem with stepping on his partner. Right now he's just too shy to move his body into a woman.

If you cut him some slack now, you'll be doing your part to help ameliorate the gender imbalance issues once he's further along. If you don't, you'll just be perpetuating those issues.

[ireniecat]

Thank you for the thoughts.

Fasc, yes, I will need to speak with the owner. I have been ruminating on the right thing to say the last few days.

Warren, yes, the problem is with not with alternating in of itself, but with switching weight after a foot closure. I have seen complete beginners have trouble with switching weight also, so I know what you mean. But please understand, I am not simply making up or assuming that he has special needs. The mom mentioned it herself.

[Larinda McRaven]

I think it is fair to ask the parent what his "special needs" are. That way you can clearly assess his options without guessing.

He may just simply be an uncoordinated little boy without any health/mental problems at all other than being extremely awkward. Have myself have taught more than one gentleman in my career that upon all first assumptions had HUGE diagonable motor skill issues, but in reality just merely at the bottom of the ladder as far as normal abilities, I would not presume anything.

I also have diagnosed scoliosis in a child student, much to the shock of their Doctor parent. So I think having an open and healthy discussion with the parent is most important.

[Larinda McRaven]

sorry, posted at the same time...

[ireniecat]

No worries... I should have mentioned that at the onset. Thanks, Larinda.

[Warren J. Dew]

I think it is fair to ask the parent what his "special needs" are. That way you can clearly assess his options without guessing.

Agreed. Most "special needs" shouldn't affect dance training. Some actually seem to help.

[FaceTheMusic]

Good luck on managing this situation, ireniecat. I'm not qualified to weigh in on your question, but it looks like you’ve had great answers already.

I do want to say that becoming dance-obsessed could do wonders for this boy, even if he has to work twice as hard at it as everyone else. A friend’s son was born with a neurological problem which causes clumsiness, and slurred speech, along with some learning disabilities. It’s pretty heartbreaking. He has had countless hours of PT and OT, some of which I drove him to. We wondered how he would ever be able to play with other kids. Well, he became obsessed with scooters, bicycles, soccer and Wii and would not give up on any of these activities no matter how often he fell down, got banged up, or lost a game. His obsessions have done more for him than any PT could have. He may not be the most graceful kid around but these days he’s out there on his bicycle with all the rest, and he’s part of the gang. I'm sure dance could be similarly therapeutic, under the right conditions.

[wooh]

Well if he can get up and move at all, he's better off than a LOT of men I see taking beginner group classes. If he can take some direction, he's better off than a lot of men I see in beginner group classes and some of the people I see here on Dance Forums.

[fascination]

snort...wooh

[ireniecat]

Thanks everyone. I taught the boy and his brother salsa tonight, and he did much better. I spoke with his mom a bit afterwards and learned that he has autism. I also learned that it's he himself who wanted to learn to dance (not the parents pushing them). So I'm thinking maybe for now while it's just the brothers in the class, I won't say anything and see how it goes. Maybe by the time there are more kids in the class, he will be okay. And if not, I can talk with the owner at that point?

[emeralddancer]

There is an instructor here who teaches a special needs adult. In private lessons and he benefits a great deal from it.

I think it is fantastic this child/young man wants to do this. And I think it is even better you are concerned and wish to help him reach his best. =)

Also maybe find out a bit about autism, can go a long way in helping him in dance and helping you with teaching him. AND in helping him in dance, it helps him in other areas as well. Autism affects / effects (?? which one?) each person differently and there is much information out there.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I would definitely talk to the owner if you end up having more students in that class and find that he is delaying the class. I know that back in the first few years when most information in the group classes was new to me, I would be upset if the class wasn't progressing because someone couldn't keep up for whatever reason, because I would want to get my money's worth out of it. But I probably wouldn't speak up, I would just try to find another class (which is bad news for the owner if people just leave the classes without letting the owner know why). And I think we have quite a few threads here with people complaining about individuals who take classes way above their level and slow everyone down.

[ash_sk8s]

If he is indeed special needs, I will just say that it drives me crazy when parents don't mention such things. When I am teaching my group skating classes, I can help your child SO MUCH MORE if I know things like they have autism. If you don't know a child has autism, they often just come off as being a brat who doesn't listen! I'm a professional, I'm not going to shun your child or something because you let me know that they need different sorts of instruction than the other children.

/rant

Whoops, didn't see your last post before posting. :)

[wooh]

And I think we have quite a few threads here with people complaining about individuals who take classes way above their level and slow everyone down.

If he showed up to the Advanced Silver Standard Tango Technique Class, then yeah, there's a problem. As there would be a problem with any newcomer to the dance world showing up for such a class. He's showing up for a beginner's class. He's not holding up the class because it's for people that have never danced before.

His problem is autism. And obviously he's on the higher functioning end of the spectrum if he could express his desire to learn to dance. He's not paralyzed from the neck down. We don't have to worry about some poor woman getting her toes smashed if he blows the straw on his wheelchair the wrong direction. We don't even have to worry about cerebral palsy making him spasm his arm into an unsuspecting boob. If the women in a beginner class can't deal with a little autism in the rotation, especially compared to some of the other things I've seen men do in beginner classes, then may a pox fall upon them. Or a car run over them. Either is fine with me.

The kid wants to dance. Someone might have to work a little harder at the dance studio today. Could be worse, they could be handicapped and have to work harder everyday.

Reminds me of studio owners that turned away a gay couple because of what the class might think. Screw that. If your clientele is that shallow, it's only a matter of time before they find something else to be "disturbed" by and they take their money elsewhere anyway.

[wooh]

If he is indeed special needs, I will just say that it drives me crazy when parents don't mention such things.

Often that's met with, "Well, for their wellbeing, and their self-esteem, this class probably isn't the best fit for them." Or some other pseudo-enlightened crap.
Which often is really just code for "OHHH NOOOO!!!! The handicapped person escaped the leper colony!!! QUICK!!! Get the pitchforks and torches!! We can chase them back into their basements if we hurry!!!"

Parents still have to fight to get their delayed/disabled/whatever kids accepted into normal childhood things. Sometimes it's just easier to "sneak" it in.

[Angel HI]

Adding the one about talking to the parent, as a counselor, and teacher who has worked with deaf, and blind, students (never this situation, admittedly), this is a really good post..... Does he alternate his feet when walking? I bet he does, in which case the problem is not that he can't alternate feet.

My guess is that he's having trouble with foot closures or unweighted foot movements, and that's true of a substantial proportion of complete beginners. Plus, it sounds like he might be old enough to be completely distracted by having someone female in his arms. It's also worth remembering that the majority of women who start ballroom have had ballet classes or some other form of dance as little girls. The same is not true of the men.

Changing dances might help with the foot closures. Get him to move his body forward into the lady with his standing foot rather than reaching out with his moving foot to fix the problem with stepping on his partner. Right now he's just too shy to move his body into a woman.

If you cut him some slack now, you'll be doing your part to help ameliorate the gender imbalance issues once he's further along. If you don't, you'll just be perpetuating those issues.

[DL]

And if not, I can talk with the owner at that point?

Can it hurt to give the owner a "heads up" *before* there's a problem that will demand the owner's attention?

[fascination]

Thanks everyone. I taught the boy and his brother salsa tonight, and he did much better. I spoke with his mom a bit afterwards and learned that he has autism. I also learned that it's he himself who wanted to learn to dance (not the parents pushing them). So I'm thinking maybe for now while it's just the brothers in the class, I won't say anything and see how it goes. Maybe by the time there are more kids in the class, he will be okay. And if not, I can talk with the owner at that point?
that's great....I think that is the best since they are already enrolled in the group...b/c I only think it prudent to switch them to privates if something was unquestionably going on that was not good for him in the group dynamic...glad it is going to work out...and the mom can definately give you pointers about how to teach him

[3wishes]

Irenicat, I work with special needs, cognitive and physical disabilities people as a ski instructor or "adaptive" as it's called. 1) you need to have a conversation with the parent or primary caregiver to focus on exactly what is his special need. He could be autistic, he could be "slow", he could just need alot of practice or whatever the specific case may be. 2) It's really important to treat him and talk to him at the level he understands for example if he's 18 years old but he thinks like a 9 year old you will have to adjust your dialog for him - and that means privates are a better way to go until you can merge him into a group class. 3) Make sure he can practice at home with his other family members. We have found, in our summer camp classes for adaptive - that the simple latin dances were very easy for the special needs kids. We also found that if there was a group, for example Downs kids/adults - while they may not execute specifically they tried and they so enjoyed themselves we found many of them at the hotel lobby dancing away. This is the premise. It starts with the conversation with the parent and/or caregiver. PM me if you have any questions you want to pursue.

[Larinda McRaven]

I have seen several Downs children and adults over the years at competitions. These people get along just fine within their studio, taking groups as well as privates. No one seems to really care, or at least the group they are with at the competition...

[danceronice]

Downs is not autism.

You do need to find out exactly how impaired he is and what sort of therapy/program he's in. "Autistic" can encompass a huge range. As wooh said, the fact that he can express a desire to dance at all suggests he's high-functioning. Did they say "autism" rather than "autism spectrum disorder?" Because the latter is often a way to avoid saying "Aspergers", which has become the trendy go-to self-diagnosis/excuse and people can blow it off. Aspergers, he may have some behavior problems and difficulty following direction (which can LOOK like willful misbehavior but absolutely isn't), autistic...could be that, could be he disconnects from his surroundings completely. We had one boy in the NARHA program I volunteered for who was..he was probably moderately functional. He didn't speak, he couldn't understand directions well at all, but he did *sometimes* understand them, and it took us two or three weeks to keep a helmet on his head (required to allow the kids on the horses) without his screaming and with the chinstrap fastened--the stimuli of the helmet with the strap on his neck was too stressful and frightening. Most of the other kids (mostly Downs, cerebral palsy, or hearing/visual impaired cases) could follow directions, or TRY to, and mostly just took a little longer or needed some accomodation physically (someone who's deaf obviously can't hear you, someone with CP might need to be braced in the saddle, etc), the boy with autism didn't entirely (or at all) understand anything anyone said. He would EVENTUALLY get some things, but he...well, interfaced with reality in an entirely different way. Just like the kids with other disabilities, he learned differently, but it wasn't a matter of being slower or clumsier, it was that his way of seeing the world and understanding stimuli was completely different.

Again, he was at best moderately funtional. As he was, he couldn't have been placed in a normal class situation, while most of the other kids could have eventually (excepting those who required PHYSICAL help to stay in the saddle.) A student with Downs understood what we were asking, they just frequently took longer to be able to do it. We were never sure if the boy with autism even understood what we were saying, and his responses to stimuli were unpredictable at best. When I took a course for teachers and child-care providers on autisim and autism-spectrum disoders, a lot of how he behaved made a lot more sense in retrospect.

This student sounds like he's functional enough he can interact with others. My concern would be if he's autistic, he doesn't necessarily process instruction the way quote-unquote "normal" students do. (What defines "normal" is a thread of its own.) How is he going to respond if the way in which the group is taught doesn't help him? If he can't understand the way the information is presented? How autistic students process speech and visual cues (or in extreme cases, don't process them at all) can be very different. Their response to noise stimuli (like loud music) can be different--what's just a little loud to us can be overwhelming. Dance could be great therapy for him, but private lessons might work better with how he learns--you'd really need a serious conversation with his parents about exactly what his needs are.

"Special needs" isn't a diagnosis or description. If he is diagnosed autistic, he's got a specific disorder with its own specific issues, which has a huge range of variation. There really is no general answer. A blind student is not a Downs Syndrome student is not an autistic student, and experience with one isn't necessarily beneficial with the other.

[tanya_the_dancer]

If he showed up to the Advanced Silver Standard Tango Technique Class, then yeah, there's a problem. As there would be a problem with any newcomer to the dance world showing up for such a class. He's showing up for a beginner's class. He's not holding up the class because it's for people that have never danced before.


If the class cannot progress because of one individual (regardless of whether that person has a disability or is just a slow learner or won't do his homework), because the teacher has to spend more time on reviewing previous lessons and can't move on to the next item on agenda, even people in the beginner class will be unhappy. Group class's pace has to be aimed at the average.

[Warren J. Dew]

You do need to find out exactly how impaired he is and what sort of therapy/program he's in. "Autistic" can encompass a huge range. As wooh said, the fact that he can express a desire to dance at all suggests he's high-functioning. Did they say "autism" rather than "autism spectrum disorder?" Because the latter is often a way to avoid saying "Aspergers", which has become the trendy go-to self-diagnosis/excuse and people can blow it off.

Actually, Asperger's is a formally diagnosed condition too, though it's now often diagnosed as "high functioning autism".

The fact is, lots of kids get formally diagnosed with "learning disabilities" that are actually fairly mild and within normal variation these days. Feed your kid enough sugar and you can get an ADHD diagnosis and the associated special treatment by the school system.

Ultimately of course that just supports your point that you need to know the speciic kid, not just the "learning disabilty" label.

[Merrylegs]

If the class cannot progress because of one individual (regardless of whether that person has a disability or is just a slow learner or won't do his homework), because the teacher has to spend more time on reviewing previous lessons and can't move on to the next item on agenda, even people in the beginner class will be unhappy. Group class's pace has to be aimed at the average.


That's the nature of a group class: some people are bored, some are learning at the right pace and some need more time to understand the material being present.



However, I think it's quite inappropriate to have the boy continue in a group class at all. Firstly, he will not be learning at a pace appropriate for him. And secondly, it disrupts the rest of the group. If it's just he and his brother for now, that might be OK. But what will happen when there are other students?How does one structure a class around this? What do you think? Is this something that should be my responsibility to handle, or should it be up to the studio owner to prevent this kind of situation?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think all people, even those with disABILITIES, should be allowed to take a class which offers open enrollment. We're talking about a beginner class, right? How many adults with no disABILITIES have trouble grasping footwork or timing or framework in their first class? I'm guessing a lot. I'm guessing you did too on your first day. I know I did.

I am offended by the mere suggestion that you think this is a situation to be prevented. I think the only problem here is that you either have a phobia toward people with disABILITIES or are afraid you'll have to work a little harder during a group class.

How about a little tolerance and acceptance?

Let me just give you a little background of my life so you know where I'm coming from: My uncle had polio at 16 years old and was paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors told my grandmother that he would be useless. My uncle went on to be an extremely accomplished artist and was chair of the art department at a college in Philadelphia. Had my grandmother just stuck him in a corner, which is pretty much what the doctors were saying to do, the world would have missed out on his incredible gifts and talent.

I also ran a college ballroom club and taught a lot of the classes myself to save money. We had a a young man in the class who is probably a lot like the kid in your class. I spent time with him during class but was able to keep the classes moving forward. I'm sure I made a positive impact on his life, can you do the same?

[ireniecat]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone.


You do need to find out exactly how impaired he is and what sort of therapy/program he's in. "Autistic" can encompass a huge range. As wooh said, the fact that he can express a desire to dance at all suggests he's high-functioning. Did they say "autism" rather than "autism spectrum disorder?"


Mom said "autistic", no further explanation. She also said he doesn't fight in school and gets good grades--which is encouraging.



This student sounds like he's functional enough he can interact with others. My concern would be if he's autistic, he doesn't necessarily process instruction the way quote-unquote "normal" students do. (What defines "normal" is a thread of its own.) How is he going to respond if the way in which the group is taught doesn't help him? If he can't understand the way the information is presented? How autistic students process speech and visual cues (or in extreme cases, don't process them at all) can be very different. Their response to noise stimuli (like loud music) can be different--what's just a little loud to us can be overwhelming. Dance could be great therapy for him, but private lessons might work better with how he learns--you'd really need a serious conversation with his parents about exactly what his needs are.

"Special needs" isn't a diagnosis or description. If he is diagnosed autistic, he's got a specific disorder with its own specific issues, which has a huge range of variation. There really is no general answer. A blind student is not a Downs Syndrome student is not an autistic student, and experience with one isn't necessarily beneficial with the other.

So far, from what I've seen in teaching him only twice... He can understand and process information okay, but the translation to the body is slow (slower than any "normal" beginner I've seen). And there are also times he "spaces out." Analogies are effective, while anatomical descriptions not so much. (e.g. hug a beach ball vs. lift your arms and keep elbows up). He seems to enjoy the music... (side note: anyone have recommendations for slow salsa music?)

I am a patient person (except maybe with people who I know are not trying), but this is definitely going to require some new skills on my part.



If the class cannot progress because of one individual (regardless of whether that person has a disability or is just a slow learner or won't do his homework), because the teacher has to spend more time on reviewing previous lessons and can't move on to the next item on agenda, even people in the beginner class will be unhappy. Group class's pace has to be aimed at the average.

Yes, this is my biggest concern for others in the group class. For now, it is a non-issue as he and his brother are in their own Kids class. The other concern, of course, is that he will keep falling behind as the class progresses.

[Larinda McRaven]

Downs is not autism.

I understand that. I was simply stating that the OTHER people in the studio don't have to be impaired by a student that is "different".

I have also seen an Autistic boy in a studio that I used to coach at. He was only a problem when he got cranky and started to yell. At that point the mother would take him to a back room to quiet him down and then return him to the larger ballroom. Still no one seemed to be inconvenienced by it.

[tanya_the_dancer]

That's the nature of a group class: some people are bored, some are learning at the right pace and some need more time to understand the material being present.

The group still needs to move at the average pace, not at the pace of the slowest person in the class. If someone's pace is much faster and they're bored, they need to recognize that and either find a different class or take private lessons where they can move at their own pace. But if someone's pace is much slower and they're bringing the rest of the group down, they need to recognize that, too, and also either find a different class or take private lessons.

[danceronice]

Actually, Asperger's is a formally diagnosed condition too, though it's now often diagnosed as "high functioning autism".


I didn't say it wasn't real. But it IS what every socially-inept idiot now uses as an excuse ("I'm not rude/clueless/emo/whiney/looney, I have Aspergers and you just don't understand me!") Anyone who's worked with a kid with a genuine diagnosis from a real medical professional knows the difference, and gets why some of those people and their famlies hesitate to use the label and go for a more general "autism spectrum disorder" label instead. Aspergers is the new ADD/ADHD--everyone who can log onto WebMD has it.

I would suggest privates over groups based on the description just because if we're talking about a kid here, it would probably help to have a teacher who can focus on him and his learning style, and integrate him into the group class when and where appropriate. It's less about other students' comfort than about him getting the most out of it. He sounds pretty high-functioning, so it probably wouldn't take long to get him to a point where he has the basic concepts and can take the group class.

And it's not about phobias. It's about recognizing that not all disabilities are the same and not everyone with a particular disability can do everything. You cannot always just "mainstream" everyone and assume it'll be sunshine and roses, and you can't make a general decision for a specific case. Case by case basis is the only way to go.

[Warren J. Dew]

The group still needs to move at the average pace, not at the pace of the slowest person in the class. If someone's pace is much faster and they're bored, they need to recognize that and either find a different class or take private lessons where they can move at their own pace. But if someone's pace is much slower and they're bringing the rest of the group down, they need to recognize that, too, and also either find a different class or take private lessons.

By definition, half the class will learn slower than average.

I don't think leaving half the class behind is a good solution. The best solution is for the instructor to teach to a range, allowing the quicker students to progress faster while not leaving the slower students behind.

This student sounds like he is well within a reasonable range for a beginner class.

I didn't say it wasn't real. But it IS what every socially-inept idiot now uses as an excuse ("I'm not rude/clueless/emo/whiney/looney, I have Aspergers and you just don't understand me!")

In my experience, it is the ones with a diagnosis who are more likely to use it as an excuse. And the fact is, these days any parent who thinks the only possible reason her kid doesn't get straight As must be a learning disability can find a doctor willing to give some kind of diagnosis if she looks hard enough.

[tanya_the_dancer]

By definition, half the class will learn slower than average.

I don't think leaving half the class behind is a good solution. The best solution is for the instructor to teach to a range, allowing the quicker students to progress faster while not leaving the slower students behind.

This student sounds like he is well within a reasonable range for a beginner class.


If she can't put him into rotation, then it's problematic, even for a beginner class. And even with the range approach, you can't always make it wide enough to accommodate every single person in the class. You'll get outliers every once in a while, and the kid sounds like an outlier to me.

[Merrylegs]

And it's not about phobias.

Do you know what the OP is thinking? Then you shouldn't be answering for other people.

[ireniecat]

I am offended by the mere suggestion that you think this is a situation to be prevented. I think the only problem here is that you either have a phobia toward people with disABILITIES or are afraid you'll have to work a little harder during a group class.

How about a little tolerance and acceptance?

I also ran a college ballroom club and taught a lot of the classes myself to save money. We had a a young man in the class who is probably a lot like the kid in your class. I spent time with him during class but was able to keep the classes moving forward. I'm sure I made a positive impact on his life, can you do the same?

Apologies, I think we posted around the same time and I did not see this post earlier. I in no way mean to offend anyone. I am trying to do what is best for both the boy's learning and for the group's learning. I personally do not feel helplessly stumbling around while everyone else is dancing is a very supportive learning environment.

While it is indeed a bronze-level class, the core of the group has been with me for a while, and are not complete beginners. We often have brand new people who have never danced, and the core is very friendly and encouraging. This is not about a phobia. It's about ensuring everyone is learning.

I'm honestly upset that you think me intolerant or a lazy teacher. I'm not the most experienced teacher, that is certain. I work very hard to make up for it by preparing interesting and challenging lessons and frequently soliciting feedback from students. But my teaching means nothing if people are not learning. That is what this whole post has been about--how to make it so everyone is learning.

And that is why I'm seeking advice from those more experienced on what is appropriate and how to make it work for everyone. So please, can you tell me how you were able to make it work with your student while still moving the class forward?

[Larinda McRaven]

I dunno, he can be in the rotation as far as I am concerned. And seriously it only lasts a few moments before moving on. If there were one less guy in class and the lady had to stand around and wait half a song, then whats the harm of dancing with him and realizing that it is not going to be perfect but she can at least attempt her portion.

[ireniecat]

I dunno, he can be in the rotation as far as I am concerned. And seriously it only lasts a few moments before moving on. If there were one less guy in class and the lady had to stand around and wait half a song, then whats the harm of dancing with him and realizing that it is not going to be perfect but she can at least attempt her portion.

It was really a split-second decision not to include him in the rotation, and just dance with him the whole time. I did what I thought was best.

[Larinda McRaven]

Sorry Irenie, I was not meaning to second guess your decision. Just thinking out loud. I know, you did what you thought was the right thing.

[Larinda McRaven]

Also I think the ladies might have at least a shred more patience for him than other less than average learners in class. Sometimes newcomer ladies can be downright mean when the man doesn't get it. At least with this kid they will have to soften their attack stance.

[ireniecat]

Sorry, I am not meaning to second guess your decision. Just thinking out loud. I know, you did what you thought was the right thing.

I appreciate your thoughts... I am thinking aloud as well! Just reflecting on how I could have done it differently :)

[Warren J. Dew]

While it is indeed a bronze-level class, the core of the group has been with me for a while, and are not complete beginners. We often have brand new people who have never danced, and the core is very friendly and encouraging. This is not about a phobia. It's about ensuring everyone is learning.

If it's not about a phobia, then why not forget about whether the kid has been labelled as having a learning disability, and just accept him for what he is - a kid that has many of the problems that a lot of complete beginners have? Just do whatever you would have done if his mother had told you that he was a normal kid who got good grades.

It sounds to me like the main reason he doesn't fit in is because the rest of the group had many times more dance experience than he has. Sure, they may only have had 5-10 more hours than him, but that's 5-10 times as much as him, too. That's why you see the big difference.

How does your studio normally handle complete beginners?

[ireniecat]

If it's not about a phobia, then why not forget about whether the kid has been labelled as having a learning disability, and just accept him for what he is - a kid that has many of the problems that a lot of complete beginners have? Just do whatever you would have done if his mother had told you that he was a normal kid who got good grades.

It sounds to me like the main reason he doesn't fit in is because the rest of the group had many times more dance experience than he has. Sure, they may only have had 5-10 more hours than him, but that's 5-10 times as much as him, too. That's why you see the big difference.

How does your studio normally handle complete beginners?

This is a good observation. I had not looked at it this way before. The core group has been with me about a year, actually.

It's a performing arts school mainly for kids, not a ballroom studio. I teach just 2 adult classes: ballroom and salsa. (There is also ballet, etc for adults, but I don't teach those) The sessions run in 8 weeks, and each session I teach a different dance. Usually beginners enter at the start of a new session, so the dance and the figures are new to everyone. I do a lot of review and and build incrementally on patterns and concepts. I will also say things like, "If you've been with me for a while, I expect you to focus on X as you do Y. If you're new, please just focus on Y." By the 3rd week, the complete beginners tend to feel comfortable and "on par" with the more experienced students. If there's a new student that starts in the middle of the session, I will let him know that the group has a head start on them, and encourage them to do their best. I will also modify my lesson plan at that point to make it more accessible for new student.

The class used to rotate between Latin dances only, but the students expressed interest ballroom also. This is the first time they're doing tango. The boy came in on week 2, so they had already learned a few figures.