*Written by Parent....
Reasons why Drama & the arts are vital for children with disabilities.
1. Zoe is unique in that she cannot feel pain, she's non-verbal, cannot walk and she's g-tube fed.
But she's very cognizant and loves interaction of her peers & adults. She brings energy and light to class!
2. The preschool drama group offers a safe haven for children with differing disabilities. It's unique in
that we all come together from different backgrounds, but have common ground with our extraordinary
children. By the end of the 8 weeks, we became a family and every child grew from their experience.
For example, when Zoe entered the class, she exuded excitement and her new friends would greet her
and smile. They treated each other with respect and looked out for one another in the class. A couple
of the children who were afraid to enter the class, by the end actually participated in whole class!
3. The preschool drama class is a safe haven for children with disabilities. Parents & children knew
that no one was judging them and they could be themselves. No pressures, no judgements.
4. Drama classes and other classes for children with disabilities is very important for our communities
because it offers a protected environment where children & parents can be themselves. Parents don't
need to worry that their child is interrupting or eccentric. Everyone is equal and we all accept and respect
each other. We became a community and our children looked forward to going to drama and seeing
their friends.
5. This class is one of the few opportunities outside of school where children with differing abilities
can be themselves and participate in a fun class! And as parents, we want the best for our children
and we want them to have same opportunities that typical children have.
Thank you, Bonnie, and her outstanding teachers, for an exciting, inclusive, and artistic class.
We really enjoyed it and hope that there are more opportunities in the future!
Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can help out in any way.
Sincerely,
Victoria Linton
Mom of Zach, 7, 2nd grader at Concord and Zoe, 5, preschooler at ECC and soon to be kindergartner
at Concord.