Performing arts, like theatre and music, may provide an enriched, supportive and inclusive education setting for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Dr. Blythe A. Corbett, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, told the Cyprus News Agency.
Dr. Corbett is visiting Cyprus on September 10-12, as part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. Her visit aims to share methods and ways to reach, raise, educate, and make ASD children feel they are in an inclusive environment.
She is also the Director of the Social Emotional NeuroScience Endocrinology (SENSE) and a licensed psychologist who has been working with children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders since 1991. She has published widely in high impact peer-reviewed journals, and her research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health in USA.
Dr. Corbett is recognized fo
r her innovative paradigms and treatments, including SENSE Theatre®, which combines theatrical and behavioral techniques in a peer-mediated, community-based intervention to improve social competence in youth with ASD. When asked about her method and the impact arts have on children with ASD, she said that “the arts, especially the performing arts like theatre and music, can provide an enriched, supportive and inclusive setting for children with ASD in which to learn.”
Dr Corbett noted that, according to her research, children who participate in SENSE Theatre® have shown significant gains in social competence, including better social communication, improved memory for people’s faces and more interactive play with peers.
During her visit to Cyprus, she is scheduled to speak with educators and special education teachers. Asked about how schools in Cyprus can incorporate her research findings to better include children with ASD, she said that “schools may benefit from our findings by incorporating some of the e
vidence-based strategies”. For example, she said, “we include typically developing trained peers in our intervention. The peers learn basic behavioral strategies, act as positive role models, and provide a supportive context for autistic learners.” Moreover, she noted that schools can also find ways to make social learning more engaging, through play and performance-based approaches.
When asked about good practices the Cyprus Ministry of Education could incorporate in secondary education, in order to facilitate, not only better learning results, but also the social inclusion of students with ASD, Dr Corbett said that, historically, secondary education focuses on academic learning. “However, social learning, especially during adolescence, is an essential but frequently overlooked area”, she noted, highlighting that inclusion in non-academic school programs such as art, music and sports are valuable to foster social and emotional development.
“Such inclusion can help build social abilities in autistic student
s”, she said, noting that inclusion can also benefit typically developing peers by gaining perspective, empathy and understanding.
According to Dr Corbett, in her workshops, parents, teachers and special needs educators can expect to learn about the prevalence and characterization of autism, as well as several evidence-based approaches for both home and school. In addition, “I will describe and show findings from SENSE Theatre®, a novel intervention research program shown to enhance social competence in autistic youth. Finally, I will touch on some understudied but critical areas of research including autistic girls, puberty and mental health”, she told CNA.
The Professor expressed her interest in forming a partnership with Cyprus institutions through collaborative research. When asked about this, she said that “for one, there is a long cultural history of theatre in Cyprus, a natural intersection to expand the integration of art and science to enhance socialization. Additionally, I look forward to learning
about priorities in Cyprus to identify mutually beneficial research opportunities for autistic children in both countries.”
Asked to give a piece of advice to parents finding out their children are diagnosed with ASD, Dr Corbett said that “it is very difficult for a parent to find out their child has autism spectrum disorder”. She added that in recent years we have learned much about the condition and have identified several evidence-based strategies and services to support autistic children and their families. “The best advice I have for parents first learning their child has autism is to get them into services with qualified professionals as soon as possible. Research has consistently shown that high quality, early intervention results in better outcomes. It is also important to build a strong supportive network of family, friends and professionals” she said.
Through her visit funded by the Department of State and administered by the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, and with the close collaboration of the Ministr
y of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr. Corbett will be in Cyprus to provide cutting-edge methods of working with special needs students developed in the United States to educators, administrators, parents, and special needs assistants across Cyprus.
She will deliver specialized workshops through the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus in both Nicosia and Limassol, September 10-12. An open presentation to parents and the general public will take place at the Pedagogical Institute in Latsia on Tuesday, September 10, at 14:30 p.m.
Source: Cyprus News Agency