Special Education Resources

“He quits every group he joins.”

“I tried girl scouts and dance but she didn’t fit in.”

“There’s karate, but he gets teased.”

As the parent comments show, it is often difficult to find an after-school program that will meet the needs of a special needs child as well as allow him or her to participate in a creative group experience. Perhaps now there is a place!

It began 10 years ago when I was co-running a creative dramatics group for typically- developing children at the Institute for Theatre-Learning with Maxine Fields. I was a college student with a double major in Elementary Education and Theater. My goal at that time was to teach children acting techniques and help them perform in an end-of- year show. As time went on, I saw how these methods were helping the children offstage as well as onstage. They were more focused and could follow directions more accurately. They cooperated with one another and communicated more clearly. They displayed more awareness of their emotions and the emotions of others. Their self- esteem improved “dramatically”!

Later on, I worked with special needs children in a variety of settings. I was a respite worker for families of children with developmental delays. I had been a consultant teacher at a New York City public school in a special education (MIS II) reading classroom, I had volunteered in various art therapy groups with the mentally ill and I was running my own sixth grade classroom with many mainstreamed students. I began to wonder what drama could do for these types of children. In 1996, Ms. Fields and I opened S.T.A.G.E.S. (Special Theatre Arts Group for Exceptional Students).

I have been consistently amazed at how beneficial drama has been to the special needs population I have serviced! First, children are immersed in social situations through the experience of theatre. They learn to cooperate and socialize as they develop and perform scenes as well as act as audience members and critique one another. Drama techniques such as relaxation methods, pantomime and focus exercises teach impulse control, anger /anxiety management, concentration, and the ability to follow directions. Theatre games teach kids to make eye contact, project and modify their voices, communicate effectively, initiate and sustain dialogue, use appropriate emotions and affect, and creatively problem-solve.

S.T.A.G.E.S. has also given special needs kids an artistic outlet and a place for self-expression without fear of criticism. The creative process is such a subjective one that there is no right or wrong … and it is the process that matters here, not the product. Each child works to his or her own ability and all work is considered acceptable and important. Children are asked to try as many different ways of seeing something as possible! The special needs child, who is often isolated because of his “unique” way of thinking, is embraced at S.T.A.G.E.S.

S.T.A.G.E.S. class size consists of and is limited to 10 students. The student-teacher ratio is small, allowing for maximum individualized attention. Creativity flourishes in a highly structured environment. All students know what to expect and what is expected of them. All children are treated with respect in an informal and friendly atmosphere.

S.T.A.G.E.S. is a division of the Institute for Theatre-Learning, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1982 by Bob Calderon. Mr. Calderon’s work has received recognition on Kidsworld (CBS) and ABC Eyewitness News. Maxine Fields, Program Director, has a Masters degree in Special Education from Hofstra University and has been the director of the Institute for Theatre-Learning for the last 19 years. Amie Backner, Program Coordinator, has a Masters degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Queens College. Ms. Backner has been a member of the Theatre Learning staff since 1988 and is currently enrolled in The New School for Social Research obtaining her Creative Arts Therapy Certification. Sylvia Neuhaus, Educational and Psychological Consultant, has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is the Director of the West Side Psychological Center.

S.T.A.G.E.S. runs from October through May, once a week for twenty-eight 2 hour sessions. To receive further details about these programs, all questions should be directed to either Maxine Fields or Amie Backner at 718-357-4532 between 10 a.m. (ET) and 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Saturday. The email address is TLstages@aol.com. Website address is http://www.theatrelearning.org. The Institute for Theatre-Learning, Inc. is a non-profit organization. We welcome donations from individuals and corporate sponsors for our programs.