Shakespeare for Special Education: Using Adaptations to ...



Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaShakespeare for Special Education: Using Adaptations to Improve the Skills of Students with Autism and Other DisabilitiesA Capstone Presented to the Faculty of the Honors College of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, Pennsylvaniaby Lauren Sobczak May 2015Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Forsyth Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Acknowledgements PAGEREF _Toc415932866 \h 2Introduction PAGEREF _Toc415932867 \h 3Chapter 1: Understanding Special Education PAGEREF _Toc415932868 \h 4Special Education Legalities: Considering the Use of Adaptations as Accommodations PAGEREF _Toc415932869 \h 4Textual Adaptations and Their Benefits PAGEREF _Toc415932870 \h 7Employing Special Education Considerations: Backward Design, Universal Design for Learning, and Differentiated Instruction PAGEREF _Toc415932871 \h 11Using Textual Adaptations to Promote Inclusion and Student Participation PAGEREF _Toc415932872 \h 15Chapter 2: Understanding Disability Stigmas and Theatrical Relations PAGEREF _Toc415932873 \h 18The Stigma of “DISability” and Curricular Considerations PAGEREF _Toc415932874 \h 18Theatrical Themes PAGEREF _Toc415932875 \h 20Theater and Autism Spectrum Disorder PAGEREF _Toc415932876 \h 22The Hunter Heartbeat Method PAGEREF _Toc415932877 \h 27Chapter 3: Understanding the Future of Special Education PAGEREF _Toc415932878 \h 30The Concept PAGEREF _Toc415932879 \h 30Understanding the Hunter Heartbeat Method Using Principles of UDL PAGEREF _Toc415932880 \h 33Communicating Results PAGEREF _Toc415932881 \h 38Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc415932882 \h 41Appendix A Glossary of Special Education Terms PAGEREF _Toc415932883 \h 42Appendix B Accommodations for Students with Different Disabilities PAGEREF _Toc415932884 \h 48Appendix C Lesson Plan with Accommodations for Students with Different Disabilities PAGEREF _Toc415932885 \h 57Appendix D Backward Design Planning: Lesson Plan PAGEREF _Toc415932886 \h 65Appendix E Interview with Professor Robin Post PAGEREF _Toc415932887 \h 70Appendix F Learning Centers Developed for an Autistic Support Classroom PAGEREF _Toc415932888 \h 87Appendix G Instructional Graphic: The Hunter Heartbeat Method PAGEREF _Toc415932889 \h 89Appendix H Autism and Shakespeare Weebly (Published Online Website) PAGEREF _Toc415932890 \h 90Appendix I Hunter Heartbeat Method Learning Center PAGEREF _Toc415932896 \h 95Works Consulted PAGEREF _Toc415932897 \h 98AcknowledgementsThroughout the process of researching, writing, and creating the various elements of this project, I was privileged to work with a number of extraordinary individuals. I would be remiss if I did not first and foremost thank my parents, Thomas and Cassandra Sobczak, my uncle Robert Burns, and my brother Bryan Sobczak for their constant support. My parents attended multiple conferences at which I shared different stages of this project, trekking with me to Ohio State University, Millersville University, and home to Kutztown University, and my uncle and brother were always willing to hear my ideas and share in my excitement about new academic discoveries. To my friends, thank you, too, for your unwavering support.I would like to express my deepest gratitude toward both Kelly Hunter for developing the incredible method that I have no doubt will positively impact generations of future students and Professor Robin Post of the Ohio State University for her unequivocal generosity and willingness to test this program for scientific value, correspond with me for this academic endeavor, and share her passion and talents with these students. To the Kutztown University Honors Program, thank you for requiring a work of this length and caliber, without which I would not have been able to challenge myself, engage with amazing individuals, and discover my passion for working with this population of incredible students. To the Ohio State University 2014 Shakespeare Festival, the 2015 Kutztown University Composition Conference, and the Millersville University English Association of Pennsylvania State University Conference of 2015, thank you for allowing me to share the ideas that contributed to following argument, method, and modes of original, practical application with students and professors from a variety of universities. Their feedback was invaluable throughout this process and will continue to be appreciated over time. To the Secondary Education, English, and Special Education Department professors for you feedback and support, I am incredibly grateful. Kutztown University is truly lucky to have such a present and devoted group of faculty and staff and we, your students, appreciate your hard work and dedication.Finally, to my Independent Study Professor and advisor for this project, Dr. Jennifer Forsyth, thank you for your weekly counsel, your dedication to this collaboration, and your constant commitment to challenging me to further expand my work. I could not have developed and communicated this project without your support and guidance. Thank you.Sincerely,Lauren Sobczak Kutztown UniversityMay, 2015IntroductionWilliam Shakespeare’s plays, while used in almost all pedagogical settings, are underutilized to educate students with special needs. Shakespeare’s works are embedded in the curriculum, but educators often neglect to use the appropriate techniques to teach them. In the general education classroom, educators generally supplement original Shakespearean text with modernized readings, film adaptations, and assessment activities; however, they do not provide their special education students with enough additional, adapted materials. Students in need of extensive reading intervention, such as students with disabilities, benefit from adaptations to break down the Elizabethan language into more comprehensible phrases and to provide them with additional context from which they can better deduce the meaning of the original dialogue. Chapter 1: Understanding Special Education Special Education Legalities: Considering the Use of Adaptations as AccommodationsAccording to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, or IDEA, all disabilities can be categorized into thirteen distinct sections: Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Visual Impairment. Each category is specifically defined by the United States Government and requires that specific criteria be met in order for a child to be diagnosed with any disability. Three categories are responsible for roughly 80% of students with disabilities, hence their consideration as high-incidence: Specific Learning Disabilities, Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, and Mild Intellectual Disabilities (1). The prevalence of students with Autism and Other Health Impairments, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is also increasing, leading experts to believe that these categories may gain the label of high-incidence disabilities in the coming years (1). For the purposes of this work, students with Specific Learning Disabilities and Autism are the focus, as students with either disability have a significant and increasing prevalence in the classroom. These students are often affected by deficits in the areas of social skills, reading fluency and comprehension, and require additional instruction in study skills, including organization and appropriate social interactions.Students with Specific Learning Disabilities are defined by the United States Department of Education as having a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. ()Students with Autism are defined as havinga developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with Autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. ()Currently, individuals with disabilities are guaranteed more rights than they were thirty years ago. The implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or ADA, mandates the prohibition of “discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities.” (U.S. Department of Labor). IDEA additionally protects students with disabilities from ages three to twenty-one by employing six principles: zero reject, mandating that schools educate all students regardless of their disability; nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation, requiring schools to use non-biased tools to diagnose and determine if a student needs special education services; procedural due process, mandating that schools provide safeguards for students with disabilities and obtain parental consent for all steps in the special education process; parent and student participation; free and appropriate education; and least restrictive environment, or LRE, requiring schools to place students in the most mainstreamed classroom possible, on a scale from general education classroom to hospital/homebound (). These principles force schools to develop mainstreamed or “inclusive” classroom environments in a special education concept known as “inclusion.” All students with disabilities have legal documents, known as Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, that mandate which accommodations they require. A list of possible accommodations for students with disabilities taking the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams, or their adapted versions for those with severe and profound disabilities, is provided by the government. Accommodations may include extra time, a separate testing environment, or a reader for the directions, for instance. The accommodations must be outlined by the IEP Team, and if schools do not comply with the outlined supports, they may be sued by the students’ parent(s) or guardian(s) (). Therefore, it is vital for schools to accommodate students, and providing appropriately adapted materials is a simple way to ensure that students are receiving the support that they are legally required to receive. Currently, in compliance with the United States disability laws, students with disabilities, particularly those that are mild and high-incidence, are being placed in general education classrooms. It is the responsibility of the teachers of both special and general education classes, therefore, to collaborate with one another and properly prepare themselves to adequately teach these students. Educators of all subjects must be willing and able to adapt their curricular materials, however advanced, for the benefit of their students. They should not underestimate the abilities of their students with disabilities due to their label, an unacceptable oversight commonly observed in general education classrooms, but hold them to the same standards as their general education students. As nationally-recognized professor, inventor, award-winning author, and expert on both animal science and autism education Temple Grandin believes, labeling students “could wind up stifling a mind that -- while it might struggle to conjugate a verb -- could one day take us to distant stars” (Temple Grandin 1). A highly functioning individual with autism herself, Grandin is uniquely qualified to offer her opinions on the minds of individuals with disabilities. Despite what many people may predict, advanced academic materials, such as the work of William Shakespeare, when adapted through the addition of accommodations, benefit students with Specific Learning Disabilities as well as enhance the social and communicative skills of students with Autism.Textual Adaptations and Their BenefitsAppropriate textual adaptations are works of literature, film, or other art forms that do not replace the original works but provide students with background information or a strong foundation for understanding such literary elements as a new plotline or archetype. These adaptations should offer students such foundations so that they may use their own abilities to appreciate and comprehend the complex language, foreign vocabulary, and beautiful theatricality of Shakespeare’s words. As all curriculum and teaching strategies must be research-based for both their ensured value for students and to prevent liability for teachers, it is beneficial to note what experts consider to be successful textual adaptations. According to Professor Daniel Fischlin of the University of Guelph, successful adaptations consist of “rewritings that challenge, extend, and re-think conventional notions of originality and authenticity” rather than simply retelling the existing work in an “easier” way (1). A fellow English educator, Tom Fitzgerald, expresses a similar goal for general education students through the use of these adaptations: “Viewing clips of the same Shakespeare scene in different film versions offers students the opportunity to engage in close critical analysis and to compare interpretations and visual styles” (1). Bloom’s Taxonomy outlines six levels of learning from the most basic to the most advanced: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (“A Model of Learning Objectives” 1). Both Fischlin and Fitzgerald support the notion that Shakespearean adaptations, when used appropriately in general education settings, provide students with an understanding of the less-challenging components of Shakespeare’s works, such as plotlines, which would fall under Bloom’s most basic levels, “remembering” and “understanding,” and allow them more time to discuss and analyze more critical aspects, such as different interpretations of similar scenes, which would increase their higher-level thinking skills through Bloom’s “applying” and “analyzing” levels. Classrooms that consist of general education students, special education students, or both all benefit from the use of textual adaptations. Adaptations, such as films, simplified versions of texts, or teacher-made materials, create valuable connections for students between their own lives and the characters, plotlines, and language of Shakespeare. These connections are necessary in order for teachers to engage students and provide students with reasons to want to learn about Shakespeare. According to English educator T.J. Vari, “students should relate to some of the characters and situations” within Shakespeare, and using contemporary works, such as Ten Things I Hate about You and O, film adaptations of The Taming of the Shrew and Othello, respectively, as supplemental materials creates that vital relatability. Students at every academic level are the most passionate about learning when they are presented with information that is relevant to them, personally, and using adaptations in the classroom serves to create that individual source of meaning. Textual adaptations of the work of Shakespeare can benefit general education and special education students in the classroom. As most general education students have the capacity to learn at their current grade level and comprehend Elizabethan language, adaptations should be used as supplemental materials that are used in addition to, not instead of the original text. Educators may provide special education students with Specific Learning Disabilities with additional adaptations, such as No Fear Shakespeare versions of the text, which aim to accommodate students who require more intense reading interventions. These would serve as steppingstones for the student. Ultimately, the goal is to scaffold the language of Shakespeare so that the students can reach a level where they still receive pedagogical adaptations but no longer rely on adaptations of the material itself. These adapted materials function similarly to the role of the teacher as assistant in the Vygotskian concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, or ZPD. The ZPD is the area between a student’s level of independent performance and the student’s level of assisted performance (“Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding” 1). Scaffolding is therefore essential for all students, particularly those with disabilities, as it allows the students to establish both content-related and skill-based foundations and can “promote the child’s learning and development” (1). Observing scaffolding in the classroom shows an understanding that all students, regardless of disability, are capable of learning and developing over time. As special educator David J. Andalora states, “In 1603, if you went to the Globe Theatre, even the lowest class of people—the groundlings on the dirt floor, the ‘not so smart individuals’—understood all of this! They understood every word! There’s no way it can’t be the same way for people today” (qtd. in Brock 2). Here, even Andalora, a seasoned educator, compares these students to the Renaissance people of low socioeconomic status and uses their label of “disabled” to unjustly define them, when he compares them directly to the “not so smart individuals” of the Renaissance. Still, he realizes that they are no exception to the educator’s foundational belief that all students are capable of learning. Special education students need additional textual adaptations, and teachers should be willing to think creatively and develop them. Using adaptations of his own, Andalora witnesses students understanding and discussing pieces of Shakespeare’s language that “eluded them before” (Brock 3). Without utilizing these adaptations to help students to achieve the same level of mastery as the other students, special needs students are not held to the same standards as students without disabilities, and this escapes the notice of neither groups of students, those in special education nor those in general education. As Colette Conroy, author of “Disability: Creative Tensions Between Drama, Theatre, and Disability Acts,” observes, the label of “disabled” for people with impairments calls for “pity, charity, segregation, advocating eugenics and the acceptance of restriction for people with impairments” (1). In the interest of rectifying this misidentification, adaptations must be considered necessary for the students to allow them to comprehend the advanced material in the form of variations or supplementary texts, but not be considered “replacement” materials within the classroom. This will allow them to appear and feel less “disabled” and more “differently abled,” as they still conquer the same material as their general education peers. As even special education classes that use adapted works reference specific quotations for analysis and literary allusions for the most famous scenes, so as not to neglect the value of having students work through the difficult syntax, adaptations must supplement, not replace the original text (3). Educators who do not use pedagogical adaptations to supplement the original texts and those who blatantly disregard the original text when providing special education students with accommodating adaptations only do a disservice to their general education and special education students alike. Employing Special Education Considerations: Backward Design, Universal Design for Learning, and Differentiated InstructionWhile general education and advanced students are cognitively capable of analyzing complex texts, special education students may struggle to understand the basic plots of Shakespearean plays. The use of textual adaptations in “inclusion” classrooms, in which both general and special education students learn in the same setting, also requires the use of three key special education considerations: Backward Design, Universal Design Learning, and differentiated instruction. Formulating lesson plans that use multiple materials, such as both original texts and supplemental adaptations, requires educators to prepare in advance and consider the goals and objectives for their students prior to generating their ideas for lessons and assessments. In the field of special education, professionals refer to this style of lesson planning as “Backward Design,” wherein teachers list the State Standards and objectives for the students, then create an assessment that will accurately gauge the students’ attainment of these goals, and lastly create a lesson that actively engages students in learning. In an example, a lesson plan may begin with “Standard 1.2— Using writing, speaking, and visual expression for personal understanding and growth,” but incorporating adaptations in a Shakespeare-related lesson also achieves “Standard 2.1— Developing critical reading, listening, and visual strategies” (PA Common Core State Standards 3). Assessments and efficient lesson plans can then be created in order to achieve these objectives. Clearly, incorporating supplementary adaptations into lesson plan instructions adds additional State Standards to objectives, achieving educators’ goals of incorporating multiple standards into each lesson, and giving special education students in inclusion classrooms extra means by which to reach their fullest potential. The second consideration for special educators, the idea of “Universal Design for Learning,” refers to required instructional strategies for reaching students with varying learning styles: multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement (“UDL Guidelines” 1). These strategies break down into subcategories that all aim to supply teachers with ideas about how to present information, utilize assistive technologies, and involve students in an active learning process. All educators should also “differentiate instruction,” or provide appropriate access for students at different levels, which is a third necessary element for both general and special education. Teaching Shakespeare with adaptations not only benefits the special education students who require supplemental materials as accommodations but also reaches general education students who learn in different ways. According to Vari, in inclusive classrooms, “It is important for teachers in this environment to use differentiated instructional practices for these varying degrees of ability as well as Backward Design approach so that each student understands the expectation prior to the lessons and evaluation” (7). Providing students with film adaptations aids the visual learners, acting out the plays engages kinesthetic learners, and reading aloud allows both auditory learners and struggling readers to improve their comprehension of the Shakespearean material without removing the challenge of speaking and understanding his language. The level of interaction between the teacher and the students is also important, particularly for students with reading disabilities, such as dyslexia. Vari observes that “reading aloud to students is often times more effective in teaching struggling readers how to become better readers than having them read on their own” (3). Reading aloud will allow both students with reading disabilities and students who are auditory learners to comprehend the text, providing differentiated instruction and complying with the “multiple means of representation” element of the Universal Design for Learning. In “Re-seeing (Dis)Ability,” Patricia Dunn communicates ten suggestions for working with students with disabilities, including asking “students how they learn best” and keeping “expectations high” (24). Asking students how they learn complies directly with the concept of Universal Design for Learning, as it allows educators to differentiate their instruction in order to meet the varying needs of the students. Additionally, holding all students to a high standard, regardless of their oppressing label or lack thereof, is essential for all educators. High standards, while academically different for each student, should remain the same in one regard: all students are willing to learn and perform to the best of their individual abilities. Dunn’s seventh suggestion, “Bring principles of Universal Design into teaching,” further reinforces her belief that the differentiation of instruction is absolutely necessary in order to successfully reach and teach students with disabilities. As UDL states, multiple means of representation and multiple means of action and expression must be considerations for teachers when developing a diverse set of lesson plan activities and assessments, or a means by which students express what they learn. As Dunn recognizes, both instruction and assessment should therefore be adapted for students using differentiation. In fact, Dunn goes so far as to suggest that pedagogical adaptations should be utilized and implemented into instruction and assessments in order to eradicate the need for excessive in-class and testing accommodations for special needs students. She states, “If more assessments were a mix of writing, speaking, and listening, educators would need [to use] fewer accommodations, more students could be tested using a modality in which they shine, and more students would be challenged to develop their skills in areas in which they need more practice (writing and speaking and listening)” (21). Dunn’s list of suggestions rightly places responsibility on the educators and highlights the need for teachers to familiarize themselves with successful strategies for teaching students with disabilities, take full advantage of resources and new technologies, vary instruction and assessments, consider different perspectives, and utilize texts regarding disabilities to encourage discussions about both disabilities and ableism in their classrooms. In other words, teachers need to consider their students with disabilities as differently abled, rather than disabled, and implement pedagogical adaptations that encourage all students to enjoy learning in an inclusive setting.Amanda Christy Brown and Katherine Schulten, authors of “Shaking Up Shakespeare: Reaching the Shakespeare-Averse with Adaptations,” created one such lesson plan that outlines the progression of student comprehension of Shakespeare through differentiated instruction. In their plan, students “examine their preconceptions about Shakespeare and his work… read one theater critic’s case for reading and seeing Shakespeare… use the Times to explore adaptations of a Shakespearean play… and use these as a springboard for staging their own scenes from the play in a new way” (1). In this example lesson, students use adaptations of Shakespeare to help them understand the basic content and provide them with the skills to analyze his work and create their own adaptations, which are two of the most difficult skills of higher-order thinking. Students who struggle with learning will benefit from the hands-on assignment that involves adaptations and will not be restricted or separated from their peers by a task that is too difficult. Many students with such disabilities thrive when given opportunities to learn by seeing, hearing, and doing, instead of by simply reading on their own. Watching, listening to, and creating and performing in their own adaptations will engage the students and maintain collaboration between the special education students and their general education peers. Using Textual Adaptations to Promote Inclusion and Student ParticipationAllowing students to participate actively and collaboratively through inclusive instruction further promotes acceptance within a diverse group of students. Inclusive general education classrooms allow students to work collaboratively, and these interactions help to lessen the stereotypes placed on students with disabilities. When general education students work with their peers with disabilities, they are more apt to develop genuine relationships with them, and the bullying of students with disabilities will decrease. As expressed by the national “Stop Bullying” initiative, establishing “a culture of inclusion and respect that welcomes all students” creates a safer and more supportive environment for all students and prevents bullying (“Prevent Bullying” 1). Inclusive classroom environments encourage higher levels of cooperation and collaboration and foster respect among peers, both with and without disabilities, by celebrating the similarities between students rather than separating them based on their differences. In addition to the comradery built in active and inclusive classrooms, some educators recognize the importance of allowing students to actively perform their own textual adaptations of written language, and ensure that they visualize the plays that were meant to be seen, not merely read. Joseph Coencas, author of “How Movies Work for Secondary School Students with Special Needs,” outlines an English unit on Romeo and Juliet, appropriate for general education, special education, or inclusive classrooms, in which his students read the play, watch key scenes from different film versions, research the many adaptations and write about their discoveries, and memorize a minimum of fourteen lines from the play itself. In compliance with the Universal Design for Learning, Coencas specifies that he shows the movie version with English subtitles, to emphasize the spoken words and the Shakespearean language, and he also encourages other educators to emphasize the connection and parallels between Shakespeare and more contemporary works. For this reason, he shows clips from both text and film adaptations of the original Romeo and Juliet, along with more contemporary adaptations, namely West Side Story. The additions to the lesson, the films, writing assignments, and memorization requirements, not only serve to sharpen several of the students’ skills but also reinforce the students’ understanding of the text and its many adaptations. This, in turn, provides several avenues for students to explore the same Shakespearean plot and language while they expand upon their existing skills in the areas of reading, comprehension, “seeing, listening… research, writing,” and memorization (71). These lessons and activities also allow students to work both independently and collaboratively, which again engages special education students with general education students, lessening the oftentimes apparent divide between them. While textual adaptations are useful, they should solely serve to supplement the original text. It is a common misconception that the use of adaptations to accommodate special education students causes neglect for the purpose of Shakespeare’s place in curriculum: his language. For this reason, it is useful to note that many special education classes manage to reference specific quotations for analysis and literary allusions for the most famous scenes so as not to devalue the difficult language (Brock 3). Additional adaptations should be aimed at providing special education students with appropriate accommodations while not underestimating their abilities to comprehend and even enjoy the language of Shakespeare. In sum, accommodating adaptations for students with disabilities is both ethically and legally necessary, and textual adaptations of Shakespeare are beneficial for both general education and special education students, as they encourage teachers to utilize Backward Design when lesson planning and they engage students by differentiating instruction and following the Universal Design for Learning. Students with mild Specific Learning Disabilities, such as dyslexia, therefore, are capable of comprehending otherwise less attainable language and concepts through the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic options that such appropriate textual adaptations allow. Chapter 2: Understanding Disability Stigmas and Theatrical RelationsThe Stigma of “DISability” and Curricular ConsiderationsStudents in all disability categories face the possibility of discrimination, however unintentional, in their classrooms. Educators develop preconceived notions of what it will mean to have a child with an IEP in their classrooms, notions that often lead to negative anticipation. The stigma associated with students with disabilities devalues their identities as individuals through the anticipated deficit in their academic capabilities. Colette Conroy, who studies the intersection of disability studies and theater studies, observes that the word “disability” has negative connotations in society and “has incorporated pity, charity, segregation, advocating eugenics, and the acceptance of restriction for people with impairments” (1). In order to avoid the “pity, charity, [and] segregation” that Conroy discusses in the classroom, educators must consider all students as just that—students. Disregarding a child’s disability is not the ultimate goal. Instead, teachers should view the students’ labels as providing the path by which to better teach them. Educators should use the information that the diagnosis of a disability offers and accommodate the students accordingly. The teachers’ high expectations for students, however, should never be affected by the presence of an IEP. Unwillingness to accommodate students with disabilities often stems from the uneasy feeling associated with a lack of understanding. It is reasonably difficult to feel comfortable with teaching students with disabilities when one lacks an adequate education about special education. Currently, some university programs are attempting to rectify this uncomfortable situation for teachers by requiring basic special education courses for aspiring teachers, ensuring that they will have the foundational knowledge necessary to accommodate students with mild disabilities who are included in their general education classes. The goal is for this trend to continue and for teachers to gain enough knowledge and understanding of these students to appropriately adapt general education materials and maintain high expectations for all students through identifying and employing processes such as scaffolding and UDL. Unfortunately, teachers’ level of foundational special education knowledge is not the only concern for students with disabilities in the classroom. The curriculum itself is often an area that lacks relationship with these students. Although it may be difficult to imagine reading a book, watching a movie, or experiencing a theatrical production that neglects to include characters with similarities in common with the audience, that is often the case for people with disabilities. As Donna L. Miller, author of “Literature Opens Doors for All Children,” notes, “Without access to relevant texts and without the tools to empower them during this time of identity formation, adolescents disengage from literary activities because they lack realistic purposes to motivate them to read and learn” (2). All students, therefore, should see and read about characters who act as role models by sharing their similar struggles and remaining positive. Oftentimes, curriculum does not include characters with disabilities, which causes these students to lack positive and successful role models. Administrators and teachers need to consider the detriment that this gap causes for these students and consider adding texts that feature protagonists with exceptionalities (4). Miller includes a list in her article that outlines young adult literature with heroes who have Physical Impairments, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing Impairments, Intellectual Disabilities, Visual Impairments, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, and Autism/Asperger Syndrome. Unfortunately, none of these books was written prior to 1986, with the exception of John Steinbeck’s 1938 classic, Of Mice and Men, which does little to exemplify the positive attributes of a person with an intellectual disability but instead focuses on the protagonist’s personal and detrimental characteristics that result in his demise. The rest of the twenty-work list was published between 1986 and 2011, which shows a positive burst in this topical focus. Hopefully, more authors will take on the challenge of writing novels and plays with more positive portrayals and messages that show students with disabilities that their limitations merely make them differently abled, and convey for students without disabilities the similarities that exist between all people, regardless of exceptionalities. Theatrical ThemesTheatrical production is another medium in which people with disabilities can serve as positive role models for similar young students. Some schools allow their students to act out the plays that other schools simply read as part of their curriculum. Performing the works enhances comprehension by both allowing kinesthetic learners to observe the actions, and by allowing visual learners to see the performance version, which is how the works were originally intended to be experienced. While most theatrical productions do not include characters or actors with any type of disability, some projects are breaking ground in this new area. The Uppity Theatre Company began a project in 1995, a year prior to their official establishment in 1996, with the help of theater artist Joan Lipkin and occupational therapist Fran Cohen, entitled the DisAbility Project (“DisAbility Project” 1). This initiative is an American group “comprised of people with and without disabilities to model inclusion” that “creates and tours original material about the culture of disability” (1). Almost 100,000 people have been reached by this project, witnessing the productions and learning from their content; and the troupe has earned “numerous awards and international recognition as one of the oldest and few projects of its kind in the country” (1). People with disabilities, particularly students who are children and adolescents, would benefit from experiencing these productions and witnessing the incredible abilities of the actors involved both with and without disabilities by visualizing and experiencing protagonists and non-fictional individuals with an array of impairments. Slowly, the idea of combining theater and people with disabilities has spread to new troupes, such as Mixed Blood Theatre. This group “aspires to be a key destination for audiences and artists with disabilities… and produces work by, with, for, and about individuals with and affected by disabilities” (“Mixed Blood Theatre” 1). The troupe partners with Autism Society of American and Upstream Arts and is currently “embarking on gathering scripts by playwrights with disabilities, with characters with disabilities, and with theme and content about disability” (1). In addition to the content and purpose of their productions, the group goes a step further, offering accommodations to audience members with disabilities, including complimentary guaranteed admission, and complimentary transportation to and from performances. The company’s website also includes a list of physical accommodations, such as accessible parking spaces, ramps, flexible seating for wheelchair accessibility, and accessible bathrooms for the Orthopedically Impaired; and American Sign Language interpreting, and listening devices for the Hearing Impaired. The group has also won awards for their commitment to physical accommodation and theatrical adaptations, including the MetLife Access Award, The American Theatre Critics Association’s Osborn Award, VSA Minnesota Access Award, and the Wallace Excellence Award for developing “audiences within disability communities” spanning from 2007 to 2012. This type of theater has spread internationally, as well, to companies like Switzerland’s “Zurich’s Theatre Hora,” also called “Disabled Theater,” which is comprised of actors with disabilities, in particular Specific Learning and Intellectual Disabilities. The expansion of these and similar organizations will provide people without disabilities an outlet to connect with people with disabilities and vice versa, allowing for the recognition of differences, but placing emphasis on similarities.Theater and Autism Spectrum DisorderTheater relates especially well to one population of individuals with one particular disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, affects 1 out of every 88 children in the United States, and its diagnostic prevalence increased 78 percent between the years 2002 and 2008 (“Autism Facts” 1). ASD also affects five times more boys than girls, and the majority of the children identified (62 percent) do not have Intellectual Disabilities in addition to ASD (1). More and more students with this disability are being identified and included in general education classrooms. Therefore, it is necessary for educators to develop an understanding of their specific needs and how best to accommodate them, while not lowering expectations for this population. As Temple Grandin states, “It hurts because they don't have enough expectations for the kids. I see too many kids who are smart who've graduated, but they're not getting a job because when they were young they didn't learn any work skills” (“An Inside View of Autism” 1). These children do, however, require different styles of teaching than students without this disability, and teachers need to be capable of and willing to provide adapted materials and appropriate accommodations for students with this disability. A camp counselor well-versed in working with students with disabilities, Matthew D. Lerner, created games, for example, that while not particularly appropriate for a standard classroom environment, would work well for students with ASD as supplemental instruction in a separate classroom, for itinerant, or more individual and supplementary instruction, or an after-school program. The physical involvement that these games entail would encourage students to desire to learn and increase the likelihood that they would willingly participate in school-related activities and cooperate with supportive teachers. In particular, theater relates very well to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. Students with this disability exhibit a range of characteristics and are all affected in different ways. As it is a spectrum, pinpointing the symptoms of the disorder is difficult, but in a general sense, students on the mild end of the spectrum have intellectual capabilities in distinct areas, think visually, and struggle with social skills and physical interactions. While a subject like math or a skill such as memorization may come easily to some of these students, teachers may need to spend more time teaching and stressing the importance of social skills such as turn-taking, eye contact, facial expressions, and spatial awareness. The label of “autistic” can impact parental expectations and result in a reluctance of adults to teach practical, social skills that are “outside the child’s comfort zone” (“An Inside View of Autism” 1). A few innovative minds have recently begun to redefine this label by developing workshops and programs that involve teaching such skills through theatrical games. One such set of games was created by summer camp counselor Matthew D. Lerner in 2003 in Massachusetts. Lerner was tasked with teaching “the basic rules of social pragmatics to students on the Autism spectrum” (Hartigan 1), but he struggled to reach his campers on a deeper cognitive level. The adolescent students did not respond well to rote training, which included lessons and instructions on how to practice the skills, and the students reacted negatively in a variety of ways by exhibiting different signs of anxiety and aggressiveness (1). Before giving up, Lerner was inspired to try a more interactive approach, incorporating theater games into his lessons. He invented a game entitled “Gibberish,” during which one student was “assigned to sell an item to the group, using only nonsensical language. Another student played the translator and tried to interpret what the first student was saying” (1). The game did not include a script, but the activity instead depended on the students’ inventiveness and was always interactive and entertaining, which encourages a higher level of student engagement (1). The students responded by showing immediate involvement and improvement and by expressing enthusiasm. For example, they were able to say hello to their peers, answer questions, and use proper eye contact during the games. The more playful environment lent itself well to the social skills objectives, and the students happily ended the summer session by creating and performing their own play for their parents (1). Unfortunately, while the research about teaching students with ASD is slowly increasing in both quantity and quality, the supply is currently limited, forcing teachers to rely heavily upon more anecdotal evidence; however, the testimonies of individuals that work directly with individuals with ASD are invaluable in that they provide educators with a myriad of observations regarding students across the spectrum. In September of 2009, two fathers who were home-schooling their children, Christopher Renino and his associate decided to teach their sons Nick and Dan a “Colloquium class,” in which the works of Shakespeare became a “catalyst for their learning” (50). While the boys—Renino’s twelve-year-old son Nick and his associate’s thirteen-year-old son Dan—were both autistic and mostly non-verbal, they communicated with assistive technology keyboards. The fathers adapted plot summaries, read a passage in the original language, such as the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet, and then the boys responded to the questions. The level of comprehension and analytical thought that the boys communicated, despite both their young ages and common disability, is astounding. When asked to define “star-crossed,” the boys completed each other’s thoughts and replied, “They are determined by real people. Instead of ast…” “rology,” showing not only a strong response to Shakespeare, but also demonstrating a greater ability to communicate with other people through literature (51). Their fathers then asked them the meaning of “our toil can strive to mend,” and the boys answered, “acting,” believing that acting can help to make up what is lacking in a script (51). The boys were so inspired by this lesson that they created their own Shakespearean adaptation in which the central characters consisted of themselves and a lovely young woman. As Renino relays, their Colloquium sessions were often “interrupted by the boys’ need to think, overcome distractions, regain their concentration, and organize their bodies so that they could express their thoughts,” yet these classes proved to their parents the deep level of intellect that was masked by their disability (51).It is obvious that both Nick and Dan benefitted from decoding the language of Shakespeare, but even more interesting is how much their parents learned from them, countering the expectations of their parents. The boys expressed one day that while they appear to be “staring into space,” they sometimes think in complete sentences and therefore have cohesive thoughts. When asked if he finds the words or the words come to him, Dan replied, “They find each other, like me and Nick” (54), a comment that created a mental connection for Renino. In the fifth act of Hamlet, the gravediggers question where Ophelia will be buried (on Christian ground or elsewhere) due to her possible suicide. Therein is a question of damnation and salvation, as she “went to the water and, metaphorically, it came to her” (54). This is similar to the ways that Dan and Nick “find words” with which to complete their thoughts, and Renino concluded that “to know anything… about human suffering is to know that damnation and salvation are twisted together. In a maelstrom, fair is foul and foul is fair” (54). After witnessing the analytical capabilities of both young boys, Renino firmly believes in using Shakespeare’s work to teach students with this disability, as well as all other disabilities: “The study of Shakespeare brings beauty, joy, and order to the potentially limitless chaos of human motives and emotions” (55). Therefore, simply refusing to teach Shakespeare to students with Autism, without at least attempting to adapt and teach his plays, is equivalent to the all too often occurrence of underestimating their cognitive capabilities and undermining their education.Teachers should make a conscious effort to keep their students actively engaged and interested in learning, and although engaging and successfully teaching both academics and social skills to students with disabilities is difficult, educators should observe the even greater challenge of incorporating the appropriate difficulty level of materials into each unit. In order to avoid lowering expectations for students with disabilities, teachers must provide their students with adapted versions of material, such as Shakespeare, rather than omit it from the curriculum. While this is, of course, an undertaking, it is the responsibility of the teacher to accommodate the students, namely by adapting the format of the material so that it is understandable and enjoyable for students who have different ways of computing information. Teachers must be creative, use scientifically-based resources, and support their students by exposing them to the same curriculum, at their appropriate cognitive level, as their peers. Teachers, and in some cases, supportive parents, are beginning to discover the importance of maintaining high expectations and teaching their students and children how to understand, relate to, and enjoy advanced material, such as the works of William Shakespeare. While it may seem logical that such theatrical games could help students with social skills, it might be more surprising to discover that they can also be efficient means of teaching complex literature and the most advanced cognitive skills. The Hunter Heartbeat MethodIn addition to individual lessons incorporating Shakespearean adaptations into the curriculum of students with Autism, a groundbreaking study is also working to address its worth with regard to advancing the expressiveness of non-verbal children with Autism. Kelly Hunter of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Great Britain developed the “Hunter Heartbeat Method,” which is based around “the rhythm of iambic pentameter and the sound of the heartbeat” (“Nisonger Center” 1). Actors working in the program adapt the plot of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and other works into various games for the students and aim to keep them engaged in the lessons. Students with Autism generally struggle with coherent or even basic verbal communication; therefore, Hunter created this method to improve upon the necessary target skills of autistic students: “eye contact, turn taking, facial emotion recognition and production, imitation, improvisation, basic play, humor, and communication in a fun and playful manner” (2). Additionally, Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter creates a heartbeat-like rhythm that is soothing to students with Autism, which will relax them and allow them to learn more comfortably and effectively. The actors afford their students the opportunity to be present and engaged in a group setting and focus on having the students interact using the adaption of the original plot. The games slowly progress through the storyline, and the actors emphasize themes of the eyes, the mind, and the heart (3). The heart is significant in that the iambic pentameter functions as a stable and comforting undertone for the games, allowing the children to feel more comfortable and increase their willingness to actively participate. The eyes and mind combine to symbolize the Mind’s Eye, which allows “the children to explore imaginative worlds, which may otherwise be locked away” (1).The Hunter Heartbeat Method has thus far been very successful for several reasons. Primarily, the method emphasizes a low actor-to-child ratio, resulting in the children’s reception of “individual attention, feedback, and interaction, as they grow and develop their core social skills” (2). Individualized instruction is the heart of a productive special education program, which is supported by the fact that a special education student’s “I.E.P.” stands for “Individualized Education Program.” The Hunter Heartbeat Method directly reflects the best practices of special education by recognizing this individualized instruction, vital because each individual with ASD is so unique. In fact, the differences between all individuals in this population are so extreme that a common phrase has been adopted to describe it: “If you've met one child with autism, well, you've met one child with autism” (“One Child with Autism” 1). This interventional method is also beneficial, as the students are asked to perform for their classmates their own interpretations of the game, essentially sharing what they have learned in a secure and positive environment. The success of the Hunter Heartbeat Method demonstrates that students with disabilities are capable of being as responsive and creative as their general education counterparts. It in no way stifles the creativity or potential of its students but rather challenges them to continue to advance to levels of Bloom’s higher order thinking, such as analyzing and creating. The Hunter Heartbeat Method proves to be beneficial to students with Autism and has even begun to influence new programs in the United States. The Department of Theatre at the Ohio State University developed an Autism pilot study, entitled “Shakespeare and Autism,” and expanded into a full-length program, in collaboration with the university’s Nisonger Center, a “center for excellence in developmental disabilities,” and Hunter’s Royal Shakespeare Company. The Hunter Heartbeat Method has, over the years, been refined, and researchers have found it to be “anecdotally effective in improving social and communication skills with children of all ages and across the Autism spectrum” (1). The new research study is expanding upon the more revised method and hopes to have similar success. They strive to “demonstrate the ability of the standardized Shakespearean based intervention to improve core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder including difficulties with communication and social skills,” and with a foundation as strong as the Hunter Heartbeat Method, they will undoubtedly achieve their goal. Chapter 3: Understanding the Future of Special EducationThe ConceptIt was not my intention to pursue a degree in the field of Special Education. While I have eagerly anticipated earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education since the age of five, Special Education was not a path that I dreamed of pursuing, but rather one that I feared. Having had little to no experience with students in special education classes and rarely having had the opportunity to engage with students with disabilities, I felt insecure about how to hold a simple conversation with someone who was cognitively so different from myself. As I progressed through middle and high school, I realized that the only experiences I had with these students had been during elective classes, such as Choir or Music. Even here the students were not included in the general education activities but instead sat on separate risers or in the far corner of the room, segregated from the rest of the students. While I made an effort to say hello, smile, and wave, I was unsure of how to proceed from there. I was afraid that I would speak too loudly, too softly, too fast, or too slow, and I did not want to sound condescending or offensive. So, unfortunately, I missed multiple opportunities to make friends with some genuinely incredible individuals. I was never taught explicitly, or even implicitly, that conversing with individuals with disabilities in the same way that you speak to anyone else is not only acceptable but simple and correct.As an undergraduate student upon witnessing the increase of students with disabilities who were being included in the general education classroom, I recognized the gap between my comfort level with special education students and the comfort level I realized I needed to have upon teaching my own classroom full of students. It was at this point, during my freshman year, that I decided to become a dually certified educator, not only for myself but also for my future students. I strongly believe that all students who are able to be included in general education settings, as the foundational special education requirement of least restrictive environment states, will be included at increasing rates in the coming years. Therefore, I decided to take advantage of the professionals who could teach me not only about the logistics of special education but about their personal experiences in the field. In many ways, the decision to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone for the benefit of my future students has changed my life. I firmly hold that all students learn and retain the most information when they are developing connections between the content being taught and their own lives. It is important to make all subject matter as relevant and diversified as possible by considering multiple means of representing information, to interest the greatest number of students. I follow this suggestion with my own learning process and strive to seek connections between my courses and other areas of study. I was afforded an educational foundation in Secondary Education, English, and Special Education, including the subtopics of psychology, theater, genres of literature, techniques for teaching a diverse population of students, and the contemporary legalities, formalities, and terminology surrounding special education (Appendix A). For my Shakespeare course in the Spring of 2014, after a solid two years of classes in all three subject areas, I chose to focus my research on literature students in special education, a topic that I found to be underexplored in the realm of academic conversations addressing either English education or special education. As a result, I recognized a need for a comprehensive explanation of special education terms, an argument for why all educators need to have an understanding of them, and the ability to circulate information about the newly developed methods for teaching students with disabilities. Through my research, I discovered that many educators share my belief that all students are capable of learning and should be recognized as unique individuals. Other teachers across the nation are similarly advocating for students with special needs to be accommodated appropriately, but not segregated from the general population of students or having their own, lower set of expectations as a result of their disabilities (see Appendix B). Through testimonials of educators who work with these students and lesson plans that they have developed to accommodate and include them (see Appendix C), I was pleased to discover that my thesis was widely supported and therefore a valid area for additional exploration: all students in general education classrooms can benefit from advanced materials, so long as their educators take the time to appropriately adapt the material for the students. Upon discovering this affirmation, I decided to expand my research to include additional programs that were in place to teach students with disabilities the conventional concepts behind advanced literary materials, such as Shakespeare, rather than the traditional content. As opposed to expecting students with low cognitive levels to fully grasp the language of Shakespeare or the literary elements often discussed through analytic class discussions, these students could benefit from the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare’s heartbeat pattern, the movement allowed for through theatrical interpretations, and the social skills taught through key characters and scenes within a work. The meter of the language is soothing and comforting for the students, the physical nature of these games allows for kinesthetic learners to explore Shakespearean plays, and the interactions necessary for the success of these games all allow these students to be exposed to Shakespeare’s work and benefit from this method individualized for their specific needs. In short, just as students with Specific Learning Disabilities are capable of learning advanced materials through the incorporation of instructional and assessment accommodations and appropriate adaptations (see Appendix D), students with social skill deficits, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, could learn from Shakespeare’s characters, plots, language, and theatricality through the games of the Hunter Heartbeat Method. Understanding the Hunter Heartbeat Method Using Principles of UDLIn an attempt to fully understand the Hunter Heartbeat Method, I followed the Universal Design for Learning special education principle: I provided myself with a myriad of ways to learn about the method by finding multiple means by which it was represented. I learned the content of this method by reading Hunter’s book published this year, including how to play each game and what each game targeted with regard to social skills, and by watching videos of the actors engaging in the games with real students, so that I could learn visually from the method. I learned kinesthetically by acting out the games as they were outlined in Hunter’s book and by modeling them for others. I also learned through traveling to Ohio to interview a primary source, Professor Robin Post of the Ohio State University’s Theater Department, who serves as the American liaison for establishing scientific value for the project (see Appendix E). It is her university department, in conjunction with the Nisonger Center which ran a longitudinal research study to test the method for scientific value in 2011. Taking place at Kilbourne Middle School in Ohio over ten weeks, the study included fifteen children, separated into groups of seven or eight, and ten actors, allowing the actors to outnumber the students and to provide the students with their undivided attention (Post 1). The full-length study took place over two years, with students from Columbus City public elementary and middle schools working for forty-two weeks (Post 1). While the results have not yet been published, they will be released later this year, and the project has proved beneficial enough to allow Post to continue the project. She has since established a related university course for graduate students, accepting hand-picked students to be trained for the program, a leg of the experiment that just concluded in 2014. Those involved have experienced the obvious impact of the method first-hand as well, believing in its success. Post relayed that she, for one, isn’t “worried,” as she’s heard “rumblings” of the positive results and has been mainly focused on the students (1). While Post’s responses were quite educational, her most incredible reaction was not informative so much as emotional when I inquired about her feelings toward the program. She teared up as she explained that teaching becomes secondary to the stronger impact that these games have on the students. More than instruction, they allow these students who struggle so intensely with social skills to connect with others and engage in a genuine and loving bond that educates the actors as much as the students. She describes, There are moments where I definitely felt… just overcome in a moment working with a child… and it’s just like pure love. I don’t know how else to talk about it. It’s just an openness that both the actor and the student bond over together and it isn’t about them teaching you. It’s about them connecting with you. You go through it together, and they teach you as much as you’re teaching them. And so it’s clearly some of the more impactful work I’ve ever done in my life. (8)Through her passionate response, I was afforded an auditory means of learning about this project and was inspired to further research this method and attempt to communicate its existence and success through a multiple means of action and expression to both my local area in the state of Pennsylvania, my university, and across the nation. Additionally inspired by my research and the emotional response of Post, I decided to work directly with students with autism in order to make a more informed decision about the possibility that advanced materials would make a positive impact on this population of students. Seeking multiple means of engagement throughout this process, I wanted to personally interact with these students and gauge for myself how beneficial this method would be for their development. As a result, I spent my professional semester of special education in an Autistic Support Classroom, during which I engaged with students who were low on the spectrum and who had multiple disabilities, including ASD. I spent upwards of one hundred sixty and hours working with these students, teaching lessons on reading and spelling, and developing learning skills that correlated with their monthly spelling lists and life skills instruction. I witnessed their interactions with one another, the incredible variation in communication skills, and the programs currently used to teach them math, spelling, reading, writing, and functional skills. I immediately realized the unbelievable extent to which they were unique in their communicative capabilities, cognitive levels, and individual personalities. I also realized how much joy I felt from engaging with these students and learning from how they learned and developed. In this classroom setting, I worked with students who ranged from having extensive verbal vocabularies, to a student with echolalia, who only communicates verbally by repeating both verbal communications of others and through signed cues (“Echolalia” 1), to a completely nonverbal student. As all of Hunter’s games are modeled prior to engaging with the students by the lead actor, it is clear that the student with echolalia would be perfectly capable of engaging in the games. “Throwing Bottom’s Surprised Donkey Face” (see Appendix G) is a perfect example of one of the games that can be easily demonstrated prior to including the students. Bottom’s facial expressions and vocal tone, pitch, and volume match those of the person that he repeats, making the game very similar to how Bottom generally communicates and proving that the modeling portion of these games is essential. This student may also benefit from the social targets of additional games, such as spatial awareness or turn-taking. Additionally, while engaging with the student who is nonverbal and encouraging vocal responses to ensure comprehension was nearly impossible, Hunter’s games provide specific specifications for how to include students who are nonverbal in these games. Her specific instructions take the pressure off of the educator and outline exactly how to keep these students included and involved. In some cases, the games introduce lesson plans before drawing conclusions about students, even encouraging the students to begin to develop vocal communication. Teaching these students lesson plans that I personally developed based off of the scripted games makes me both more comfortable and qualified to speak to how effective the Hunter Heartbeat Method would be for these students. I created plans that were either completely scripted from a curriculum guide or entirely original in content and approach. In addition to the plans, I created learning centers that allowed the students to practice spelling the words, and I designed them to be individualized for each student. The spelling learning centers allowed students on a higher level to fill in the missing letters of spelling words and students on a lower level to match their monthly spelling words to corresponding pictures through identification. This differentiated the instruction for the students based on their individual capabilities. The center was also developed around words that were relevant to the current month, establishing connections for the students between what words they learned and why their meanings were essential to understand. For example, the students learned the words “November,” “Thanksgiving,” and “turkey” in the month of November. I also created a learning center designed to allow the students to match the names of household objects to their pictures through identification (see Appendix F). Some students completed this with ease while others required more assistance, but all were able to complete at least half of the matches by the end of a two-week period. The experience of creating these centers encouraged me to develop the Hunter Heartbeat Method games into learning centers in order to both ensure their comprehensive format, easily laid out for both teacher and student understanding, and to illustrate the simplicity of their implementation into an after-school or endof-the-day activity period program. It also allowed me to experience forming connections with these students through instruction and collaboration, an invaluable opportunity that will always remain with me. The students that I engaged with and learned from are incredible individuals. I developed, over the course of the ten weeks I spent with them, a passion for working with this population of students that has not weakened with time. I am now pursuing a certification in working with students with this particular disability and work to incorporate what I learned throughout this project into my interactions with students I observe and teach now in educational placements, as well as my future students. It is my goal to continue to become a more informed and highly qualified educator, and my personal experiences with these students has reassured me that this method would not only work for students of different cognitive and verbal levels but for all students with autism who seek to fully develop their social skills. I would encourage all Autistic Support teachers to educate themselves about the method and urge their administrations to consider training qualified employees, such as special education paraprofessionals, aides, and teachers, to play these games with their students with ASD, and allow these students to explore the possibilities afforded to them as they develop their social skills and learn to express themselves both accurately and appropriately. Communicating ResultsThroughout the course of this project, despite unexpected changes in direction, such as the extensive expansions of the Hunter Heartbeat Method, the goal of this process has remained consistent: to present this information and groundbreaking method to more individuals across the nation and to further develop it into programs for an increasing number of children with autism. Considering the expected positive results and enthusiastic personal testimonials of those directly involved with the method, such as Professor Robin Post, the project’s potential success is undeniable and should be shared with more students in need of itinerant support in social skills. It is necessary for these students, more than others, to learn to express themselves and appropriately engage with those around them, as they require additional instruction. All of these students, despite their cognitive levels or verbal capabilities, are able to learn from this program and grow as individuals, while engaging in games designed specifically to be collaborative and enjoyable. In an attempt to actively express the importance of this program in multiple ways, in compliance with the Universal Design for Learning, I have developed different means by which the general public can learn more about both its progress and forthcoming reports of its success. Again connecting my courses across disciplines to establish personal connections, I utilized a course regarding the incorporation of technology into the classroom by creating an instructional graphic to visually display the game “Throwing Bottom’s Surprised Donkey Face” (see Appendix G). Created from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the game allows the students to develop their facial expressions by “throwing” them to another actor or student in the circle. The visual representation explains the process and will hopefully be used to visually model the game for local teachers training to implement them as a learning center for a free period or for an after school program for the students with autism in their school or district. I will also use it as a visual display to express the simplicity of the games, the lack of financial support necessary to develop a program with the method, and the significance of its impact on the development of these students. In addition to the graphic, I also developed a website (see Appendix H). As part of my goals for this process, I communicated the basis for my project with students and professors at my university. I utilized the website to visually express what I researched and how I planned to proceed. In the coming months, I will further develop the website and transform it from a presentational tool into an educational resource, updated with the most recent information about how to accommodate students with Specific Learning Disabilities through the inclusion of adaptations, as well as the latest on the Hunter Heartbeat Method and the results of the scientific research performed through the Ohio State University upon its publication. Educating students who have disabilities and encouraging teachers that their expectations should be modified, but not lowered, for these students is a long-term goal of mine, not to be completed by a set deadline. I hope to continue to inspire students and educators and to allow them to learn from each other and open-mindedly collaborate in order to better the educational process for all students, both with and without disabilities. It is my hope for the future that more districts will become informed about the importance of exposing students to advanced materials and specifically the Hunter Heartbeat Method. I hope to personally encourage schools to develop learning centers from the games during free periods at the end of the school day or after school programs. To encourage this, I developed a learning center outlining the teacher directions of performing one game with students (see Appendix I). The simplicity, the lack of necessary financial support for the games themselves, and the positive effects that they will have on students should be more than enough to encourage schools to adapt this method from an after-school program at Kilbourne Middle School and select locations in Great Britain to learning centers and after school programs across the United States of America and around the world. I know from both my research and my personal experiences teaching individuals both in general and special education populations that all students deserve to receive a strong foundational education and to be afforded the opportunity to learn from different adaptations of advanced materials, such as the works of William Shakespeare, and I can only hope that other teachers, administrators, and future educators will learn from the work of Kelly Hunter and utilize her invaluable method. It is my intention to ensure that the maximum amount of people in my area learn about the Hunter Heartbeat Method and continue to share my knowledge and understanding of these games and their unprecedented benefits for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. ConclusionThe works of Shakespeare are essential in all secondary level, general education classrooms, and when adapted appropriately, work to include students with an array of intellectual, developmental, and Specific Learning Disabilities. The idea that students in special education programs are automatically unable to handle the challenges of Shakespearean language is a disheartening misconception. Adaptations should be an obvious resource for educators who intend to reach all of their students, despite their varying levels of comprehension. Supplementing with films or other literature, as well as incorporating Shakespeare into hands on games and activities, only serves to benefit all students, while simultaneously achieving the core ideals of special education: Backward Design lesson planning, Universal Design for Learning, and differentiated instruction. The research that is currently underway in support of new methods of integrating Shakespearean adaptations into the lives and education of students with Autism is also an amazing contribution to special education and cannot be overlooked by special and general educators. Contrary to popular belief, the use of Shakespeare is in no way “out of reach” for children with disabilities, and utilizing adaptations of the Renaissance language only challenge these students to achieve their full potential, whether it be to simply comprehend the plot, to fully analyze and create a new adaptation, or to merely expand upon skills of facial emotional expression and communication. Appendix AGlossary of Special Education TermsAmericans with Disabilities Act (1990) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. The ADA also establishes requirements for telecommunications relay services. Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term autism does not apply if the child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in #5 below.A child who shows the characteristics of autism after age 3 could be diagnosed as having autism if the criteria above are satisfied.Backward Design Also called backward planning or backward mapping, Backward Design is a process that educators use to design learning experiences and instructional techniques to achieve specific learning goals. Backward design begins with the objectives of a unit or course—what students are expected to learn and be able to do—and then proceeds “backward” to create lessons that achieve those desired goals. In most public schools, the educational goals of a course or unit will be a given state’s learning standards—i.e., concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education.Deaf-Blindness means concomitant [simultaneous] hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.Developmental Delay for children from birth to age three (under IDEA Part C) and children from ages three through nine (under IDEA Part B), the term developmental delay, as defined by each State, means a delay in one or more of the following areas: physical development; cognitive development; communication; social or emotional development; or adaptive [behavioral] development.Differentiated Instruction is the way in which a teacher anticipates and responds to a variety of student needs in the classroom. To meet student needs, teachers differentiate by modifying the content (what is being taught), the process (how it is taught) and the product (how students demonstrate their learning).Emotional Disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance:(a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.(b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.(c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.(d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.(e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.Hearing Impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance but is not included under the definition of “deafness.” Individualized Education Program Short for Individualized Education Program, an IEP is the legal document that defines a child's special education program. An IEP includes the disability under which the child qualifies for Special Education Services (also known as his classification), the services the team has determined the school will provide, his yearly goals and objectives and any accommodations that must be made to assist his learning.Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.Intellectual Disability means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance.(Editor’s Note, February 2011:?“Intellectual Disability” is a new term in IDEA. Until October 2010, the law used the term “mental retardation.” In October 2010,?Rosa’s Law?was signed into law by President Obama. ?Rosa’s Law changed the term to be used in future to “intellectual disability.” The definition of the term itself ?did not change and is what has just been shown above.)Multiple Disabilities means concomitant [simultaneous] impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness, intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.Orthopedic Impairment means a severe orthopedic impairment that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g.,cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). Other Health Impairment means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that—(a) is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome; and(b)?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance.Scaffolding refers to a variety of instructional techniques used to move students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process.Specific Learning Disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Speech or Language Impairment means a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance. Traumatic Brain Injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech.The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma. Universal Design for Learning means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that:(a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and(b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.Visual Impairment Including Blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction,?adversely affects?a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.Zone of Proximal Development is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers.Appendix BAccommodations for Students with Different DisabilitiesSpecific Learning Disability:Definition:(A) In general.--The term “specific learning disability” means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.(B) Disorders included.--Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.(C) Disorders not included.--Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.()Dysgraphia:Definition:Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. Dysgraphia makes the act of writing difficult. It can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting and putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia can have trouble organizing letters, numbers and words on a line or page. This can result partly from:Visual-spatial difficulties: trouble processing what the eye sees and language processing difficulty: trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears()Characteristics: 1. Combines cursive and print when writing2. Grips writing utensils unusually (to the point of causing pain)3. Omits words or does not complete them4. Copies or writes slowly5. Cannot write and think simultaneously()Accommodations:1. Assess child using audio/visual recordings.2. Allow student to dictate to a note-taker or writer.3. Provide students with copies of instructions and assignments.4. Allow students to type answers and assignments.5. Create shortened assignments with regard to writing.(Classroom Accommodations Checklist)Dyscalculia: Definition:Dyscalculia refers to a wide range of lifelong learning disabilities involving math. There is no single type of math disability. Dyscalculia can vary from person to person. And, it can affect people differently at different stages of life.()Characteristics:1. Have trouble recalling mathematical facts from memory2. Use methods of calculating facts that are under grade level3. Write incorrect numbers4. Trouble following mathematical steps and processes5. Problems differentiating between letters, numbers, and symbols()Accommodations:1. Use computer models during math lessons.2. Provide student with maps, charts, tables, etc.3. Emphasize important information.4. Allow students to use computer programs to practice skills.5. Incorporate manipulatives into lesson plans.(Classroom Accommodations Checklist)Dyslexia:Definition:As with other learning disabilities, dyslexia is a lifelong challenge. This language-based processing disorder can hinder reading, writing, spelling and sometimes even speaking. Dyslexia is not a sign of poor intelligence or laziness or the result of impaired hearing or vision. Children and adults with dyslexia have a neurological disorder that causes their brains to process and interpret information differently.()Characteristics:1. Trouble distinguishing similar letters2. Problems with taking notes during class3. Speech is delayed4. Reading rate is slowed5. Problems with structures of words()Accommodations:1. Create and maintain simple daily routines.2. Repeat important information and directions.3. Communicate with both verbal and visual information.4. Break instructions into steps.5. Give the student a graphic organizer.()Visual Impairment:Definition:Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. ()Characteristics:1. Discoloration of pupils (may appear white instead of black)2. Constantly blink or squint3. Repeatedly cover or close eyes4. Hold objects too close to face5. Avoid activities that require average vision()Accommodations:1. Provide braille versions of text.2. Provide books with enlarged print.3. Use concrete materials as often as possible.4. Emboss copies of handouts and worksheets.5. Constantly talk while you teach.(Classroom Accommodations Checklist)Emotional/Behavioral Disorders:Definition: An emotional disorder is a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.” ()Characteristics:1. Bullies fellow classmates2. Acts aggressively3. Self-injurious tendencies4. Disrupts classroom activities5. Problems with working in groups()Accommodations:1. Provide preferential seating for the student, away from distractions.2. Offer positive and negative reinforcements for good and bad behavior.3. Create a quiet space where the student can retreat to when necessary.4. Communicate with other members of the IEP team often.5. Create a list of increasing consequences.(Classroom Accommodations Checklist)Orthopedic Impairment:Definition:A physical disability means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).()Characteristics:1. Impaired motor skills2. Possible partial immobility3. May appear fatigued (trouble sleeping)4. May have pain or discomfort5. Poor self-advocacy skills()Accommodations:1. Allow the student extra time to get to each class.2. Ensure that the classroom is accessible.3. Allow the students extended time to do out-of-class assignments.4. Provide the necessary assistive technology.5. Ensure that any fieldtrips will have total accessibility. ()Autism:Definition:Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.()Characteristics:1. Problems with making and maintaining eye contact2. Shows little interest in activities3. Difficulty with communicating4. Lacks imaginative skills5. Uses little body language when interacting with classmates()Accommodations:1. Create a repetitive and routine schedule.2. Use visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli during lessons.3. Identify and remove any possible distractions.4. Use minimal figurative language and be very direct.5. Pair the student with a peer helper.()Intellectual Disability:Definition:Intellectual disability means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance()Characteristics:1. Social development is abnormal2. Cognitive development is delayed3. Language impairments4. May have unusual physical attributes5. Acts without age-appropriate behaviors()Accommodations:1. Provide the student with checklists.2. Allow oral assessments.3. Have the student dictate and use a writer during assessments.4. Provide extra written instructions.5. Give verbal cues and reminders.()Appendix CLesson Plan with Accommodations for Students with Different Disabilities (Accommodations for a child with a visual impairment italicized)Objectives:Students will understand the following:1. On a literal level, Lord of the Flies deals with what happens to a group of boys stranded on an island with no adult supervision.2. On a symbolic level, Lord of the Flies investigates what happens to civilized people when the structures of civilization disappear.Materials:For this lesson, you will need:? The novel Lord of the Flies Allow a student with dyslexia additional time to read the assigned novel. For a student with a visual impairment, ensure that there is an audio version available. Procedures:1. Throughout discussions about the novel, guide students to focus on what happens on the literal level in the book and what that development means on the symbolic level. That is, what happens literally to the boys, and what is the author saying metaphorically about the structures of civilization? If the class chooses to move into a circle for the discussion, ensure that the student with physical disabilities has preferential seating and will not be unable to readjust their seat.2. With the preceding discussion as background, divide your students into three groups:One group is the rescued boys who should look at the entire time on the island through Jack's point of view.One group is the rescued boys who should look at the entire time on the island through Ralph's point of view.One group will act as an audience of adult judges—parents, police, and other authority figures; this group will ask questions of the two groups of boys and pass judgment on them.Pair a student with dyscalculia with a peer buddy and let them work together to discuss questions and plan their contributions to the group. Allow a student with dysgraphia to take a position in a group as a presenter, as opposed to a recorder, so they will not be responsible for writing down the group’s discussion. 3. While the group acting as judges prepares questions for both groups, the groups supporting Jack and Ralph should consider the following questions by way of preparing for questions from the adults:What happened?What events does each boy have firsthand knowledge of?What events did each boy only hear about?Which actions will each boy defend the most emphatically?What will each boy say about the others?4. The group acting as judges should prepare questions for both groups. In order to come to a fair judgment, what do the judges need to find out? How can they look beyond the boys' personalities and leadership styles to find an accurate depiction of what happened on the island? Explain that the judgment group must create questions that elicit both objective and subjective answers.5. After the adults have interrogated each boy, the judges should meet to formulate their conclusion: Who was responsible for each development during the boys' stay on the island? To what degree? Why do the judges hold specific boys responsible?6. Judges should give out punishments—and possibly rewards—based on their findings. They may be creative in crafting consequences for each boy and may also consider making recommendations so that in the future society at large can avoid another destruction of a civilized group.Discussion Questions:1. Lord of the Flies has been called "a fable in which the characters are symbols for abstract ideas." Explain this statement by analyzing each of the major characters (Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, and Roger) in terms of his distinctive character traits and the human quality he might symbolize.2. Defend and/or criticize Ralph's actions as leader. What were his motivations? Did he contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What would you have done differently in his situation?3. Describe the religious imagery in Lord of the Flies: the forces of good and evil, a fall from grace, a savior, and eventual redemption. How does Golding's depiction of the island compare to the Garden of Eden?4. Analyze the student population in your school and the various groups or cliques that exist. Discuss whether there are certain mannerisms, clothing preferences, behavior codes, or other qualities that characterize each group. Have you ever known a group member outside the context of his or her group? Did that person behave differently when not under the direct influence of the group?5. Some readers of Lord of the Flies have argued that each and every one of the boys' actions is nothing more than an attempt to survive in difficult conditions. Think about the mounting of the sow's head, Simon's ascent up the mountain, and the murder of Piggy in particular, as well as any other key scenes that stand out for you. Is it fair to say that the boys' actions were merely the result of the human survival instinct? Why or why not? If so, can you use these examples to draw some general conclusions about the human instinct to survive?6. Suppose the plot of Lord of the Flies involved a planeload of marooned girls, or a mixed group of girls and boys, instead of all boys. Do you think the same violent and cruel tendencies would have emerged on the island? Explain your answer in detail. If you think the outcome would have been different, explain how and why.For a student with an intellectual disability, make an audio version of these discussion questions and give the class access to it. Create it via podcast or recording and post it on a common wiki or class website. This way, the student will not feel singled out, and the entire class will have a new way to study the discussion questions before any assessments on this topic. Evaluation:You may evaluate students on their participation in each group. Note which students have prepared questions and planned answers and which have not. Pay attention, too, to the clarity and smoothness with which each student speaks.Allow a student with an emotional/behavioral disability to take be assessed on this topic in a separate, assigned space, if further assessment is needed. Extensions:On the Return of the Lost BoysHave your students write a news story or produce a news video about the boys' return to England. As reporters, students should pretend they have conducted four or five interviews with the surviving boys, the adult who rescued them, their parents, teachers, and child psychology experts as well as the man on the street. They should prepare statements made by "interviewees." Overall they should organize their story or video to cover the "five W s and H "— Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? If students are shooting a video, they can add to its realism by dressing actors in clothing that fits their roles.Design a Curriculum:Ask your students to imagine that they and their fellow students may one day have to face a challenge like that confronted by the boys in Lord of the Flies . Ask, "Would you be prepared to find yourself on a deserted tropical island with no adult supervision?" Then ask students to design a curriculum for a school semester that would teach the knowledge, values, and skills they would need to surmount all the challenges they would face. What content would the course include? What skills would be emphasized? What texts would be assigned to be read? How would the students be graded?Suggested Readings:Lord of the Flies: Modern Critical Interpretations. Harold Bloom, ed. Chelsea House Publishing, 1998.In this interpretative companion to Lord of the Flies, students are introduced to Golding's brilliant work through a classic study of the book's structure, symbolism, and drama.Peace in the Streets: Breaking the Cycle of Gang Violence. Arturo Hernandez. Child Welfare League of America, 1998.This novel-like firsthand look at youth gangs provokes discussion about the parallels between Golding's fictional adventure and inner-city gangs of today.Links:Poems About Lord of the Flies Two poems that enhance the understanding of Lord of the Flies. Lord of the Flies: Story Analysis.Lord of the Flies Low Fat Version Symbolism, character analysis, a map and more.Vocabulary:apprehension Definition: Suspicion or fear, especially of future evil.Context: The travelers' apprehension grew as the turbulence on the airplane became more violent.depravity Definition: A corrupt act or practice; moral corruption.Context: Natural human depravity often surfaces in times of war.epilepsy Definition: Any of various disorders marked by disturbed electrical rhythms of the central nervous system and typically manifested by convulsive attacks, usually with clouding of consciousness.Context: The medication that controlled his epilepsy allowed Frank to safely drive a car.irony Definition: The use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.Context: It is a common irony—that the poorest people are sometimes the most generous.profane Definition: Serving to debase or defile what is holy.Context: Years ago, it was considered profane for women to attend church hatless.prudent Definition: Marked by wisdom or judiciousness; shrewd in the management of practical affairs.Context: The family turned to Aunt Cecilia, a prudent and trusted adviser, who could resolve their differences.redemption Definition: The act or process of freeing from the consequences of sin.Context: In the Christian tradition, baptism offers people redemption from original sin.sadist Definition: One who delights in cruelty.Context: The neighborhood bully was clearly a sadist who teased all of the younger children until they cried.Benchmarks: Understands the effects of complex literary devices and techniques on the overall quality of a work (e.g., tone, irony, mood, figurative language, allusion, diction, dialogue, symbolism, point of view, style).Identifies and analyzes the philosophical assumptions and basic beliefs underlying an author's work.Understands that conflict between people or groups may arise from competition over ideas, resources, power, and/or status.Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rule of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good.Knows alternative ideas about the sources of law (e.g., custom, Supreme Being, sovereigns, legislatures) and different varieties of law (e.g., divine law, natural law, common law, statute law, international law); knows alternative ideas about the purposes and functions of law (e.g., regulating relationships among people and between people and their government; providing order, predictability, security, and established procedures for the management of conflict; regulating social and economic relationships in civil society).Understands the importance of dispositions that lead citizens to become independent members of society, such as self-discipline, self-governance, and individual responsibility (i.e., fulfilling the moral and legal obligations of membership in society).Understands how changes in social and political institutions (e.g., church, school, political party) both reflect and affect individuals' career choices, values, and significant actions.(Summer Productions, Inc.)Appendix DBackward Design Planning: Lesson PlanStudent Name: Danny School: Parkview Middle School Date: February 16, 2015Grade: Eighth Group Size: 20 studentsStudent Information for Accommodations:Danny is a ninth grade student who has been diagnosed with the Specific Learning Disability Dyslexia. He enjoys sports and cooking in his spare time, but struggles significantly with group work during class. He has trouble with fluency and only comprehends about 50% of what he reads independently. When working with other students, Danny has trouble staying focused on the work, particularly during reading, and other students do not seem to like spending time with him. As a result, Danny has trouble making friends. He is pulled out of general education classes to receive supplemental instruction in English and history. He does well on most assessments, with accommodations, but his teachers are trying to help him become more independent during testing. Danny works with a reading specialist outside of the general education classroom. He also enjoys repetitive activities in class. Danny hopes to attend post-secondary school and have a career as a chef. Subject: English (General Education Inclusion Classroom)Title: Romeo and JulietStandard(s): E08.B-K.1.1.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its developmentover the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas;provide an objective summary of the text. 1.4.8.A: Write poems, short stories, and plays. Apply various organizational methods. Include literary elements and devices.Understanding(s): Central ideas of a textEssential Question(s): What is the central idea of the text?How does identifying the central idea aid in analyzing a text?Established Objective(s): 1. The students will be able to identify the central ideas of the text.2. The students will be able to analyze the development of the central idea throughout the text.3. The students will be able to write their own work in the form of poetry, short stories, and plays. Foundational Knowledge: -The students must understand what literary elements make up a story.-The students need to be able to apply their existing knowledge and analyze text.-The students need to be able to express themselves through the written word.Key Knowledge/Competencies/Skills: -Use existing skills to identify the central idea-Use the text to analyze the development of the central ideaKey Vocabulary, Concepts, and/or Symbols: Duration: 45 minutes, one class periodStage 2: Assessment EvidencePerformance Task(s): -Students will participate in a class discussion that will be recorded via a teacher checklist.-Students will complete a formative assessment in the form of a journal entry.-Students will complete a summative assessment in the form of a final essay test at the end of the unit with the prompt: What did the lives and deaths of Romeo and Juliet teach the Montague and Capulet families? How do you know? Other Evidence: Stage 3: Learning PlanLearning Activities: Materials: -Student journals-Student copies of Romeo and Juliet-Teacher copy of Romeo and Juliet-Access to computer-SmartBoard/StarBoard Access-Writing Utensils-Summative Assessment Essay Tests-Summative Assessment Answer Key-Danny’s Audiobook Version Suggested Instructional Strategies: -JournalingInstructional ProceduresAnticipatory Set: -The teacher will show a video introducing William Shakespeare via a short YouTube video: -The teacher will then show two short videos to introduce the novel Romeo and Juliet. The two videos are meant to introduce the idea of Shakespeare as a playwright and the plot of the play. and These videos also specify for the student what this particular play has to do with them, personally. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes. Danny will be seated near the front of the class and be provided with written information from each of the videos in the form of advanced notes. The notes will be made available for him the day before this class to be reviewed in advance at home. Model: -The teacher will ask the students to respond to the prompt: “Why do I need to know about Romeo and Juliet? Why is William Shakespeare so important?” While the students are responding in their student journals, the teacher will be modeling the journaling strategy by also responding in their personal journal. This should take about five minutes. Danny will be permitted to type his response on an iPad, utilizing Spell Check. Instead of handing in his journal, he is to email his entry directly to the teacher with the subject ‘Journal Entry 1.’ Guided Practice: -The teacher will read Act 1 Scene 1 aloud with the students, asking the students to read for the different characters and pausing for clarification of particularly difficult phrases. This will take about 20 minutes. Danny will not be asked to read as a character, but when the class later acts out the scene, he will be asked to commit lines to memory and participate by playing a character in the theatrical rendition of the scene. Independent Practice: -The students will write down two clarification questions about the first scene of the play. -The students will then pair up with the person next to them and ask them one of their two questions. The teacher will monitor the discussions and mark participation points accordingly.-The students will then share whichever question they want to receive clarification on to the teacher, who will compile the questions and prepare to answer them at the beginning of the class the following day. This will take about 5 minutes. Danny will again be permitted to type his questions instead of writing them. He will submit his questions via email using the subject ‘Question.’Closing:-The teacher will review the first scene’s contents by quickly summing up the scene’s importance, the relevance of the play as a whole, and the monumental impact of Shakespeare on the English language by restating the main points from the lesson. The teacher will then remind the students to read the second and third acts for homework and take notes when necessary to prepare for the summative essay assessment. This will take the remaining five minutes. Danny will be given an audiobook version of the text to listen to and he will be expected to follow along with his hardcopy. Supports and Scaffolds: Related Materials/Resources: - - Teacher Reflection: As this lesson has not yet been taught, a teacher reflection cannot be completed. Appendix EInterview with Professor Robin PostRP: So, Kelly Hunter came to us in 2011 and we were partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company (The Ohio State University has been partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company) since 2009 and that partnership was predominantly teaching Shakespeare to kids K-12 using rehearsal techniques to do that. So, twenty teachers and a few faculty in 2009 went to Stratford Upon Avon to learn the Stand Up for Shakespeare Methodology, which was again using rehearsal room techniques to teach kids K-12… and then those teachers were from Ohio and came back and started implementing the work in 2009 and every year since more people have gone over. All of the actors have gone over to get the training and it’s been growing ever since. So, in 2011, Kelly, who was an actress with the Royal Shakespeare Company for some twenty years off and on, she was introduced to us because she has this work that she created called the Hunter Heartbeat Method, about ten years ago, and she had never had it scientifically researched. She had this feeling that it would make a difference and she wanted to have it researched. And she had wanted to have that happen for a long time. So she heard about our partnership and she heard about the Nisonger Center. And she basically introduced us to each other in a sense. She said, “theater department, Nisonger Center, can you guys get together and implement my work in schools and study the impact?”And we said, “sure let’s do that. Sounds terrific.” So she just asked me, upon her arrival, if I would run the project. So that started in 2011. And we did a pilot at Kilbourne Middle School which is a Middle School north about twenty miles. And we had, I think 15, children that were separated into groups of about 7, two days a week. So seven and eight and ten actors, actually with us at that time. The pilot had ten actors, I think, and then seven children per group. So we outnumbered them a little bit. And the research from that... There was no control group. There was no comparison group. The researchers were just looking at the benefit of working with these kids from the beginning of twelve-fourteen weeks to the end. Just owning and assessing that until the end. That was the pilot. There was enough information to say that this was worth looking into and to do a full-blown research project. We started that in 2012 and are just now finishing up the last leg of that. And there was a control group and a waitlisted group. So the kids that weren’t getting the intervention, they got it, but much later than the other group and so they were comparing those who got it to those who didn’t. At the moment, the research is not published, so I don’t know what it is, but I do hear rumblings that it is really good, so that hasn’t been something that I’ve been particularly worried about. I don’t know if worried is the correct terminology, I just haven’t been, it hasn’t been my focus to be thinking about whether the results of the research are going to show one thing or another thing. I’ve just been implementing the work with the actors and training them in the work and training them how to have play, how to play with the children in various ways and to play with the work itself so that they’re having fun, so that it is a fun and lively experience. And so although I do, there are targets for each game. For example, there is a target to make eye contact a lot of the time, or there’s a target to understand spatial relationships or a target to recognize emotion or express emotion. So all the games have embedded in them some target. And so there’s playfulness that’s a big piece of this. If the actors aren’t playing and they aren’t actually genuinely having fun, then it doesn’t work as well. And if they’re not looking at what the game is for then it doesn’t work as well. You know if you’re sort of playing, you might as well go to the playground and play, so they’re trying to do a few things at the same time. ME: And the actors, are all of them students?RP: Yeah, so all the actors have been students with the exception of one who was a faculty member, but he was a student previously. He was an MFA and now he’s on the faculty. And it’s been a range of undergrads and graduate students and PhD students involved. I’m just thinking about another student who came back. We did… I don’t know if you know about this… Kelly put on a performance of The Tempest on Stratford. It was an adapted… did you see that?ME: I read about this, yeah.RP: So that was our first endeavor into performing with students on the spectrum in an actual production and in the moment. So using all these games in the Hunter Heartbeat Method and putting them into a show itself that is a sort of stand-alone show and it’s gonna happen every night, it’s gonna be different every night, they’ve never rehearsed it, they don’t know what they’re coming to, that was pretty amazing and challenging in lots of ways. But I was thinking about one of the actors that came back to perform in that. And he was really good at this work so he was able to show up so. ME: That’s awesome.RP: So I’ve been involved since the beginning of the research project. The Hunter Heartbeat Method began some ten years ago. Kelly started to develop it about ten years ago. I didn’t get wind of it or introduced to it until 2011 and then I’ve been directly involved ever since. I’m the director of it here at Ohio State. And I work with the students with autism every week. And I have done so sometimes twice a week since it started, since 2011 as well.ME: Is that, I noticed since they brought me down here to your office and it had your schedule. Are you teaching a class on Shakespeare and Autism or is that the block that you usually work with the students?RP: Is Shakespeare and Autism on the schedule?ME: It says Shakespeare and Autism on the schedule and I saw it on Monday and I just thought I’d ask. RP: Oh, yeah. The MFAs have already been trained in the work and they’re finishing this… I’ve lost my train of thought… they’re finishing this milestone of this research project. That’s at Haugland Learning Center. We go there every week, every Monday after school. So they’re implementing the work there every weekME: OK that’s awesome. RP: And there is a class. So it’s been an interesting sort of journey. Because there’s an official class here at Ohio State, now, that is for undergrads and you can take it and learn about what this is and we will go for example in the Spring to a new school with a new group of kids. So I’ll train the actors in the work for about five weeks and we’ll spend the rest of the semester going into the school. ME: That would be so much fun. I am actually working with students right now that are, I guess, technically low incidence. I wasn’t sure what kind of students or what range I would have by requesting Autism Support but I have three students with Autism; two are considered low functioning and one is considered high functioning, two with intellectual disabilities, and one with both. So, it is really interesting seeing the characteristics. ‘Cause I really didn’t know all that much about it and my interest in autism in general kind of stemmed from learning about this program and I’m finding that working with these students they have completely different characteristics and different personalities and the spectrum is… huge. It’s huge but it’s amazing seeing these kids and working with these kids and seeing the progress. I mean their minds are just amazing and it’s like “What are you thinking” you know? So I think that this is so awesome, sorry.RP: No that’s great. That’s great. So, yeah.ME: And you’ve said that you don’t know about the research, but you’ve said that they seem to be responding. So they seem to be enjoying it?RP: Oh, yeah. There’s no question about that. I do know that preliminary research was pointing to really positive results. We prospect to have social behavioral responses to the work so what else? There were certain things that were spiking. And I feel like most of them were about social communication so pragmatic language and making friends and feeling more comfortable with other people and children their age. I know there was some research pointing language skills developing more quickly, but I’m reluctant to say that because I don’t know that for a fact.ME: OK. I read a couple of the accounts because I guess this summer a lot more news about it because of the performances were up about it online and on Kelly Hunter’s website there was more information about accounts of the parents that had their students involved. And there was one about a little boy who was able to calm himself down in a hospital using a heartbeat method. And I thought that that was amazing because that kind of thing is invaluable too, I mean the social aspect, but also being able to kind of. Any independence that is available to be provided is definitely appreciated I’m sure. RP: Absolutely.ME: But after this, too, you mentioned that you’re finishing up this leg, are there any plans to extend the project for any further amount of time?RP: Well, because it is now a class, it will continue indefinitely, as a class. So, partners will be varied and different and hopefully we’ll be able to build more partnerships in the community and get more people involved. Beyond that there will probably be more training workshops available, if I was to make an educated guess, that’s what I’d say is on the horizon.ME: Could you see it, I mean especially if they do come back with really positive research results, could you see it extending as a class or program to other universities? I’m at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, so if it ever extended there… (both laugh) that would be awesome. We actually just added a program specifically for autism, so the special education dual certification will certify you to work in almost any disability category. I know that visual impairment, for example, is excluded from the dual certification, but we actually offer a separate degree for that at our university. I’m excited because I actually hope to go back and get my master’s soon after graduating and I’m looking into this new program, now. It’s funny because my professor said to me “This is going to be your life’s… what you wanna do… work with kids with autism” and I said “It’s going to stem out of… I read about this project… that’s what’s gonna happen…” RP: That’s really cool.ME: Actually, one of my questions was “will it be formally implemented,” but I guess it was, so there’s a success right there! And then what makes working with this method more successful than other methods. I haven’t looked too much into other specific methods, but do you think it’s the direct interaction with the students or the Shakespearean language itself?RP: Yeah. So I guess I would say it’s a combination of things, but I can’t speak to other programs either. I mean I can say that the little bit that I know that I’ve seen in terms of other kinds of implementation. I guess I can speak to Maggie, one of the researchers at the Nisonger Center who has spoken about this, but there is a significant difference between what it means to be playful with a child rather than sit down and practice repetition of movement and “we’re gonna learn this skill.” That it isn’t that at all. It’s really flexible. I can portray Caliban one way and someone else could portray him a totally different way. So there’s not a right or wrong to that. And so learning that you can interpret and imagine and have your own creative response to something is a huge leap with regard to other kinds of therapies. Although there is drama based work for children with autism in the world. What I would say distinguishes Kelly’s work is that there is a structure. There is a flexibility, but there is a structure. You must sit in a circle. There must be tape delineating that circle that you’re sitting around. So that they know that there is a specific place that they are supposed to sit. That within the circle is the playing area and outside the circle is where you watch what happens in the playing area. So there’s that. And there’s the heartbeat. We start off with the heartbeat hello and every workshop ends with a heartbeat good-bye. So, there’s a closure, there’s a opening and a closure that’s specific and structured and they can depend on it. There’s repetition that they can depend on. They know it’s an hour, typically. We try to keep it.ME: There’s a routine.RP: Yeah. What happens structurally is that two actors step in and model a game. Two more might step in and model it. What they’re showing is that we’re doing it differently and it’s the same game, but there are different ways of expressing that same character. Then, we all split off and go our separate ways and it’s a one on one kind of experience, typically. So, the actor will teach the child the game and they’ll play it together. So, I’ll be Caliban, you’ll be Ariel shadowing me around the forest and around the island, I’m thinking of Midsummer now, sorry, and then they come back and everyone shows what they’ve been doing. So we come back and share. Everyone sits down, two actors come up they model it, they split off, they learn, they play, they come back and they show it.ME: And the partners are student/actor. RP: Yes. It’s a child with autism and a student actor.ME: Awesome. And do they… they have done something similar with Midsummer? I did an instructional graphic showing the game “Throwing Bottom’s Surprised Donkey Face” I think it was, which I thought was really cool. And I did a visual to demonstrate that I could use to kind of show this, because no one really knows about this program from where I am right now. So, I’m telling a lot of people about it. So it had been developed with other plays and then is it mostly focused on just one, or do the games mostly focus a set of characters?RP: Is what focused on one, one play?ME: Yeah. Is one whole hour session focused on one play?RP: Yes. A whole session of ten weeks typically focuses on one play.ME: Is it always the same one? Or does it kind of switch off?RP: No, I could choose any play. So, I could’ve decided, but we’ve decided on The Tempest forever. And it’s in my head. It’s been done so many ways and there’s been so many different manifestations of it, so it's like The Tempest for me, but I certainly could, like next semester teach Midsummer instead. ME: That’s great because it’s more, then… not universal, but you know, it can be applied to so many more plays and avenues. I just read The Tempest in Shakespeare and I hadn’t read it before. Some of them we read, you know in high school, but I hadn’t read that one and when I was reading about this I thought that so many of the elements could really go together, so it does feel like it fits nicely with the method. RP: Yeah, I mean I bet Kelly could find a way to make all of the Shakespeare plays fit with this method, but I mean some are more obvious than others. ME: I think, in terms of what was online, those were the only two that I found examples of…RP: OK, good.ME: Because I know that the book is coming out and there will be more details and information coming with it…RP: I think those are the only two that she represents. Like names of games and stuff went with those two. ME: Sorry, I was just wondering… total side note… not even focusing on the list any more. So, what has been your emotional response to working on this project? I mean you seem happy… (both laugh)RP: Yeah, it has been incredible. I mean I’m probably gonna get emotional… So, it’s been a long time since 2011, so I was just kinda overwhelmed with the question in the moment. I was like “Wow I’ve been doing this a long time” and the different experiences that we’ve had with these kids have been so... life affirming and… I don’t know you forget the connections you make until you think about the whole… you know all these moments and the experiences with these kids are just sort of hitting me rapid fire. We had several of them during the performances themselves that were just moments of mind-blowing connection. Where it’s like… you could feel like the kids are allowing you to love them… and they just met us… so a lot of times we’d walk away from the show and we’d… do this (points to tears)… because it’s like… what just happened? You know? And so it’s that much more impactful to do it for an extended amount of time and you are just playing so you don’t feel sad, ever. You don’t ever feel… but there are moments where I’m definitely felt… just overcome in a moment working with a child… and it’s just like pure love. I don’t know how else to talk about it. It’s just an openness that both the actor and the student bond over together and it isn’t about them teaching you. It’s about them connecting with you. You go through it together and they teach you as much as you’re teaching them. And so it’s clearly some of the more impactful work I’ve ever done in my life. I tend to gravitate toward things like that so I’m not surprised. I don’t know and I guess you’ve probably found some of those kids. The straightforward and straight-shooting delivery of information is so heartwarming and so authentic and if more people could just be more straightforward…ME: It’d be wonderful.RP: Right. And it’s just so… endearing. It’s endearing to work with these kids and to get to know them. And to see if they’ll let us get to know them, you know? How have I felt about the people involved? I’d say I feel the same way about the people involved and I’ve been really careful about the people I’ve brought in. It’s not a class that just anyone can take. You know I am pretty careful about what people are interested in and if they’re willing to play and let their guard down and be vulnerable and so all of the people who have been… kinda like you.ME: That’s wonderful. Thank you. I’ve written the part of my paper that I’m mostly going to expand upon next semester, this is mostly my researching semester, about how it is more about the adult and the teacher’s responsibility to adapt material in a way that it’s going to be useful and impact the students’ lives and as part of this project I’m looking to develop some time of a lesson plan or something where the authenticity of the game itself, and keeping in mind that playfulness over that constant direct instruction, is valued and is the purpose because that a lot of times, I think, is lost. So, that’s wonderful, that that’s what that is because I’m trying really hard to stay as true to the program itself as I am shaping my own ideas, but trying to keep the meaning of the project behind it. So, that’s wonderful to hear because I think that it would be invaluable to put something like this into an after school program or into more schools to offer that or even if it’s the end of the day class period, if students can’t stay after, that it is used. I mean, do you think that that would be beneficial?RP: For what… would what be beneficial?ME: Even if it was just one or two of the games, if more people were fully trained, for those to be used in schools as a program?RP: Oh, yeah, absolutely. ME: Even as a class, but a class modeled like the games, not a class that’s conventional. Even with the kids I’m working with, I’m seeing how it would be beneficial for them, so I think that would be… my goal is trying to figure out how to present it by the time that I am done, for people in our area to consider implementing it in that way. In a way that’s true to the program and not as a typical curriculum kind of project.RP: Yeah, that’s an interesting project. I think that changing… taking pieces of it is absolutely OK. I know that families go home and do heartbeats or faces and so they’re clearly not doing the workshop. They’re just taking a piece of it. But, adapting it is an interesting question. How much of it and changing how much of it. I know that there are reasons for the way that it’s structured so then changing the structure is then somewhat changing what’s going to happen. I mean you find things that work for you and you adapt them for what it is you’re doing. I think that you just have to honor then what it is you’re calling it. If you’ve changed it significantly. It doesn’t matter if anyone knows what it is at that point. It’s just about honoring it. It’s an interesting question across the board, as far as who is qualified to teach this. ME: And I think a big part of it would be, I mean if one game was taken from it for like an autism spectrum classroom for a specific skill for a certain student, but if it would be an actual class period or an after school program in more locations than just this program I think it would require significant training for those who would be involved. I know it wouldn’t involve too many people. Like the high school I’m currently in, it is actually my old high school, and there are 3,500 kids, and there’s only one Autistic Support classroom and it is new. So, they are implementing a new curriculum and new staff members and they’re trying, but it would take several professionals to go through proper training. So, if it was going to be like more extensive workshops and then making sure that that will happen over time, at which point it would just be “training for Hunter Heartbeat Method Workshops.” And I hope that does happen over time, but in the short term, if there were certain games to be taken from that, I could see certain students benefitting from them. RP: Right.ME: And when I say adapting, I think for me, it’s just a lot of things have to be adapted. For example, the first half of my paper is about taking a general education curriculum of Shakespeare and adapting that for students with Specific Learning Disabilities and making sure that you’re using supplemental materials and recognizing that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to provide that for the students and not just discount them and say “oh, they can’t learn it.” It’s your responsibility to change it, while staying true to Shakespeare’s language that they can understand. I think when I say adapting for the second half of my paper, I mean almost being aware of and changing how you would propose it to people and just stating that this is, you know, something that is different. It’s not necessarily adapted from what we normally do, but it is completely different and beneficial. We need to make sure that that is clear when it is presented, because I think, hopefully, that this will take off! This will totally take off because that would be wonderful. But, that’s part of the question, then, about adapting it for the classroom. So, what advice would you give to teachers or students who will work with children with autism?RP: Well a lot of what happens with students that come in to do this is that they’re actors and they want to know what the deal is and how do you work with those kids and what specifically are their characteristics, and as you pointed out, they run the gamut. So, I think you need to free yourself of being prepared ahead of time about what you’re going to experience and work with limited knowledge going in and the games are going to take care of you. As long as we’re playing the games and implementing the work that you’re going to discover how best to work with each individual, as you would anyone else. So, just like the rest of the world, we are all very different. And we respond to different things differently. So, just going to check in to see what are they responding to and what they’re not responding to and you have to work with trial and error to see best how to implement these things and it’s not always going to work and that’s OK. You’re just discovering. So, just be willing to discover and be willing to let yourself not know what you’re doing. So trusting the skills that you have as a theater artist, the skills that you have as a teacher, and know that the skills are in place and you have what you need to figure out how to work with anyone and rely on those and then you’ll discover, and we have to discover as actors along the way. There’s this common thing that happens. So, discovering along the way what works. I would also say that love, even though that sounds really mushy and cliché, goes a long way. So, if you’re finding that a student is seeming to present challenging behavior, realize that it’s coming from a place of crisis. That student is feeling something that is causing them to respond that way because they are feeling some level of crisis happening for them. So, doing what you can to alleviate that. Maybe it’s a transition to a new room. Just do what you can to be aware that that’s what’s happening rather than read that as this person’s challenging, I’m going to have to resist it and deal with this and have more of an openness and look at how that student is dealing with something. They wouldn’t be… tearing their sock apart… or whatever… unless they are clearly experiencing something that’s causing duress. So, look at that rather than, well that’s just… because I’ve seen some of that go on with aids like… “Stop doing that.” And “Stop it. Leave that alone.” Which is very sort of… reprimanding… and that’s not really recognizing that they’re struggling with, so I would say finding a kinder approach and finding more kindness and generosity in the approach. Maybe that matter of fact delivery of information is helpful, but that’s different from “UGH!” because that’s about you. That’s about your own anger and frustration. So, to see what you can do that’s helpful and loving to that child and helping them work through that duress, rather than going to that place of, ahhh I’m terrible and this is awful and you know… just react. I think that a lot of us feel inept in the moment. ME: Right. One of the questions, too, is about the life skills. Would you suggest what teachers could focus on that would help students with autism? Like in the classroom that I’m in, students focus on life skills that they do like work projects and programs and any change they get they’ll have line work where they’ll do things like deliver things and talk to people. They have a towels and paper system where they deliver newspapers to different teachers and they get towels back and forth to other students that are very low functioning and they work on folding and things like that. Other than speech, there’s not a lot that I’ve seen, at least, and I haven’t been there very long, but there is not a lot of teaching communication and social skills other than letting them talk to each other. There’s nothing that they do other than that that’s specific. The one student is very repetitive and he just completely echoes everything you say and you might motion and he’ll say a sign, but there’s no instruction. Keeping in mind that direct instruction isn’t always the best way to present information, but do you think it would be beneficial for teachers to focus on those kinds of things and not just “here’s math and here’s reading.” RP: Oh, absolutely. I’m not going to tell someone… you know because the work that I’m focused on is so specific, but it lives in its own arena, but there are things within it that clearly lend to teaching like spatial relations. We have a game where one character gets too close and the other says “Too close… no, no, good bye.” So, it’s constantly reinforcing the societal spatial relationships and that this is not what we accept here. So, learning and getting a sense of what is a spatial relationship. We reinforce that people need their space or taking turns, which is a big one. There’s a taking turns system. These games are set up as games. They don’t necessarily know that they’re learning these things.ME: Yes, I think that’s helpful, though. Personally, working with him, on the extreme ends of the spectrum, you know and my teacher, whose worked with these students for a very long time and she is so excellent, but constantly saying to students “what are you supposed to say?” or if you’re directing constantly instead of giving a symbol or teaching something that he can teach something that he can use later to remind himself. So, like later from across the room you hold your hand up and he sees you and knows what he’s supposed to say, you know even simple gestures. Especially with games, I think that with at least the students I’ve worked with, a frame of reference and imagery is so helpful and the kinesthetic of actually doing it, is so helpful.RP: I mean, right, embodying it is such a totally different way. You get up and you express with your body and your words, if you have them. So, they do recall. The students who are even the most limited vocally will say “He’s too close” during the game we’re playing. So they do recall that we’ve learned that. They’ll say “He’s too close. Too close” and that’s telling. You know, they have learned that. That’s telling and it’s giving us a lot of information. Or “It’s not your turn” happens or just not pointing out that it’s not your turn, actually. So knowing when it’s your turn to talk and there’s a system for that. And there’s flexibility. You know, each child is different. One child wants to get right up in your face because he wants to push the envelope, but it could be that that’s Ben’s behavior and not necessarily his autism and you negotiate that with him. And with Ben you can talk. With Ben you can say hey, I don’t like when you’re right in my face and that’s why we’re having this discussion about space. And sometimes you’ll get “bhwhadahdaha well stop telling me not to do that,” because it feels to him like you don’t like him. So, taking time out for Ben to say that I do care for you, we just need our space. I think that one of the, the other thing is that no one of them is alike. You can’t sort of…ME: Generalize.RP: They’re all different. ME: Absolutely. I just had a similar experience with one student, actually. He has been like regressing almost. He’s been acting his age and then this year he started acting, the teacher says, babyish or whiny, and he’ll throw tantrums and she thinks it’s like the transitions from having less kids in class. And I was going over a story with him in reading. He’s high functioning enough that I was able to go over all of the questions with him and he can read the story and everything. He can understand and you can talk to him. But he’s supposed to tell you when he wants a break and the other day he threw his pencil and started freaking out and because it was the first time she was like “that’s not how we’re gonna act” and all that, but I can see if it was a recurring problem or if it was a personal thing. He doesn’t seem to have any personal thing against me or me being there because he was fine the next day, but it was just that there was too much in that moment and I think even just learning about the games for me, it’s beneficial, because I can see that this can be successful. Not just for one student and not just the games but learning different techniques or tactics to use with different students can be so helpful. That goes with how you would want the project to appear to the public. I’m completely conscious of that. You know, I want the program to come off based on my own argument and all of the information that I’ve gotten. Is there anything, like a direct statement or quote that you’d want me to include? And I’ll pull all of my information from the facts of the program. It’s a tricky one, sorry.RP: I guess I would like… for me one of the biggest things about the work is the sense of us working with them as opposed to teaching them. So, although, we are introducing different ways of communicating through techniques and demonstrating things and pointing at them, we are also doing a lot of listening and it’s reciprocal. So, we’re doing a lot of listening and learning ourselves and it’s a give and take. There’s a negotiation. That’s how it is with everyone, but that’s how we, as “neurotypical” people have that we can deliver that we need, that’s a problem. There needs to be a communication. There must be an open communication.ME: So more of an equal relationship. Understanding that they have an opinion to offer as well. Not, this is what you need to not be different, but letting their individuality come through. I love that. RP: Yeah, and letting them tell you what they need is a big one too. Give it time and you might find that they have important things to tell you. So, I guess that it’s very different because it’s using Shakespeare performance, text, characters, it’s larger than life play, and it’s inherently making you vulnerable. You have to be vulnerable. Yeah. ME: I’m finding that already about the kids I’m working with. I’m learning from them. There’s so much more than information that you can learn from a person. And even if they can tell me something that I don’t know, it’s almost like learning through a different person’s eyes and personality how they see the world. It’s amazing. Some of the kids are the happiest kids I’ve ever met in my life. You know, no matter what is going on in their lives. And they’ll say help me and I’ll say you can do it with whatever it is and they can do it and I’ll turn around and they’ll all be helping each other. And if everyone else just had that instinct to just help other people, and just be happy to be together, and to say hi to each other in the hallway, that would make us better people. RP: No question. There’s no question. You know, the more you talk about it, the more I think that it’s a shame there isn’t a run of it going on right now. Some of the students have created a play based on their experiences with this that is culminating before they graduate. It’s their collective and new work that they’re creating together. It’ll go up as a main stage production and I think I wrote to you about it. So, they’re responding to the work and they’re portraying kids with autism and it’s a story about a girl with autism. It’s in and out of her world fluctuating. In her inner world she has superheroes and she faces challenges in the outer world and she deals with it through her superheroes. It is just this amazing show that they’ve created. It would just be so great for you to see it, given all that you’ve said.ME: It sounds amazing. RP: I was thinking if they were doing a run tonight, if you could see their rehearsal, but they’re not.ME: I saw that and I was going to do my best, but our semester ends in December and I’m also a part of the TEACH program and we are paired with mentors and we have the opportunity to go to a conference with them during finals week and there are a few other events in November, I know, but being so far away and it being during the semester, as of now, I don’t think I can make it back for those events, but I really wish that I could!RP: Yes, of course, if you can’t it’s fine, I was just thinking that if you could, you might be interested. I was thinking it was tonight, but it’s not an option.ME: It’d be amazing to see. I am so looking forward to reading the book. I will heavily star and smiley-face it, but I will try, as well, to send my draft next semester. Don’t feel obligated to read it, by any means, but I’ll specify in the second half about this program where I mention it, and if there is anything that you think that I should include, reword, or omit, I want to make sure that I have all of the information. I’ve mentioned to a few people before that you know the book isn’t out yet and a lot of times there is a program we’re researching that’s already happened, but when I mention this to people, they’re like “you mean it’s happening now?” and I’m like “yeah, right now!” It’s happening. RP: You’re right in there with what’s happening. Right here.ME: Yeah, I look forward to sharing about it. Right at the university we have to share it at a conference so I’ll share all that I can about the program.RP: The other thing is that Kelly is coming back in May and so it’ll be short, but it’s the 14th-16th to do a book launch in Columbus and she’s going to run some trainer workshops as well. That’s an option to come back and take a workshop with the person who created it, as well. ME: My capstone, itself, has to be done with the semester, but I don’t plan as being just done. I hope to expand upon it and get as much out of it as possible. The kids deserve as much as we can give them and to have access to all that is out there, no matter how new, so I’ll definitely look into that. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity. And just for my very last question, is there anywhere to go for more information, other than the book itself, even here on campus?RP: You’re right to go to the Nisonger Center about this, but there’s not much at the actual place having to do with this actual project. The campus, itself, isn’t… we’re always at a school. Our work is either at this building or at a school. So, I mean there are partners. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Autism Network are partner of ours. Amy Hess, the Coordinator of the Autism Treatment Network at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, isn’t the director of that, but she’s close to that. Her son has autism. She has been intricate to this partnership. Amy Hess. ME: I found you from the site: contact me. And I was like I will!RP: That’s probably it. ME: OK. I knew that since it was very new there would probably just be more information here. I did check upstairs in the theater department office and I didn’t find any brochures or anything like that anywhere, so I was just wondering if there are any other printed resources. RP: The only formal thing is that one poster over there with a few of the schools we’ve worked at. We don’t have fliers or anything like that at the moment. I assume you’ve seen the website. ME: Yeah, there’s stuff from the university and Kelly Hunter, so it’s starting to pop up all over the place with video clips popping up too, now. RP: Autism Power2Give will pop up with another video clip with Kelly and her work that’s being done. ME: I think I found a radio show about her on a British radio station and her documentary that I couldn’t access. RP: It’s called Dreams and Voices. It was this, but it was years ago.ME: I wasn’t able to find it, but I was hoping it would resurface with her book coming out. RP: It might even be offered with her book.ME: OK, I will look into that. Thank you so much!Appendix FLearning Centers Developed for an Autistic Support ClassroomA spelling learning center individualized for students on different levels with the inclusion of two sets of activities: fill in the blank spelling and picture/word matching. The month and year were changeable, the calendar set monthly, and the self-correction sheet available for both activities. This functional life skills learning center was designed to help one particular student achieve his IEP goals. It allowed the students to match the pictures of household objects to the corresponding words based on identification. After roughly two weeks of engaging with the learning center, all of the students were able to identify at least half of the words by matching them to their pictorial counterparts. Appendix GInstructional Graphic: The Hunter Heartbeat MethodAppendix HAutism and Shakespeare Weebly (Published Online Website)Appendix IHunter Heartbeat Method Learning CenterSubject Area: English/Language ArtsName of Center: The Heartbeat HelloStandard: CC.1.1.9-10: Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions. 1.1.11.F: Understand the meaning of and apply key vocabulary across the various subject areas. NCTE 1: Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.Objective of Center: Students will be able to increase their facial expressiveness, role-play, take turns, increase their spatial and vocal awareness, and maintain physical boundaries. Center Materials:-Masking Tape-Shakespeare’s Heartbeat by Kelly HunterInstruction for Teacher Conduct: Prior to teaching this lesson, the teacher will review the book Shakespeare’s Heartbeat by Kelly Hunter, particularly the pages outlining the games entitled “The Heartbeat Circle” and “Throwing a Face” (pages 13-21). The teacher will create a circle on a section of tile floor, preferably out of the way of general classroom traffic, prior to the students’ arrival. The teacher will ask the students to sit in a circle around the tape and explain that it represents an island (the island in Shakespeare’s The Tempest).Before the children begin, the teacher will model the Heartbeat Hello by sitting in the center of the circle and saying hello in rhythm to each child, making eye contact along the way with each, until they have said hello to every student. While this is happening, all of the students and the teacher will be making a double-tap heartbeat sound by tapping their right hand over their heart together, in time. The teacher will then ask all of the students to take turns saying hello in the center of the circle. For the second introductory game, the teacher will again model the activity before asking the students to participate. To demonstrate, it would be helpful to have a teaching assistant, aid, paraprofessional, or co-teacher also seated in the circle to be the “catcher.” The teacher should explain that Caliban is a character who is angry with a character named Prospero. To practice facial expressions, the teacher will make an angry face and “throw” it across the circle to either another adult, or a particularly capable student. From there, students can learn new faces based on the expressions of other characters. Grouping Size: 1 to 6 studentsActivity Description: In Shakespeare’s Heartbeat, Hunter outlines ways to adapt each game for students who are nonverbal. For example, additional adults, such as parents or aids, can join the circle to work with the students and encourage them to make the rhythm-like tapping sound. The rhythm is meant to be soothing and calm any anxieties that the students may be feeling while playing these games, especially for the first time (16). If a teacher has to help a student, asking permission to make contact with their hands is always necessary prior to aiding the student in making the tapping motions (17). The students should participate as much as possible after watching the teacher demonstrate and will hopefully feel more and more comfortable as they practice each game. Self-Correction: As this learning center would take place with students who require more assistance those general education students, there are no self-correction materials available or necessary. Teachers, aids, co-teachers, and paraprofessionals will be with the students throughout the center to help them learn the games and additionally to monitor their progress. Assessment:The students will not be formally assessed through these games, but teachers can monitor the students’ progress by setting up charts and monitoring how often they participate and to what extent. Teacher Reflection:As this learning center has not yet been taught, a teacher reflection cannot be completed.Works Consulted "Accommodating Students with Autism within and Inclusive Setting." Super Duper Handy Handouts. Ed. Meghan Lynette-Richmond, M.S. N.p., 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. < Guidelines 2014. U.S. Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. <;."Accommodation and Compliance Services." Job Accommodation Network. N.p., 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <;."Adapting a Lesson for Students with Special Needs." Mar. 2007. "Americans with Disabilities Act." United States Department of Labor. Ed. Thomas E. Perez. U.S. Department of Labor, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. <;."Autism Facts." Temple Grandin, Ph.D. N.p., 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2015. <;. Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks. 17 July 2014. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. < Treatment Network Research and Autism Studies Guide. Nationwide Children's, 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <;."Backward Design." 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Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <, Mari-Jane. "Autism and Shakespeare: Ohio State Researchers Study Hunter Heartbeat Method." The Washington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.- - -. "Autism and Shakespeare: Ohio State University Researchers Study Hunter Heartbeat Method." The Washington Post. N.p., 9 Apr. 2013. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. <;."The Zone of Proximal Development." Simply Psychology. N.p., 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <;."Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding." Tools of the Mind. N.p., 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <;. ................
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