This section establishes the professional and contextual framework for teaching students with Down syndrome in a dance studio setting. Participants will examine Down syndrome prevalence in Australia, the foundational role of intellectual disability as a teaching consideration, and the evidence-informed language frameworks that underpin respectful, inclusive practice. A strong foundation in this content enables confident, informed communication with students, families, and colleagues from the outset.
This section provides a comprehensive introduction to Down syndrome as a chromosomal condition. Participants will examine what Down syndrome is, the three diagnostic types and their implications, the characteristic physical features most relevant to dance participation, and the significant creative and expressive strengths associated with this population. Developing accurate, strengths-based understanding is essential for moving beyond assumptions and responding to each student as an individual.
People with Down syndrome are at higher risk of a range of health conditions, and many will present with more than one. This section provides dance teachers with a practical, non-clinical overview of the health considerations most relevant to the studio environment including cardiac conditions, hearing and vision differences, low muscle tone, atlantoaxial instability, and co-occurring conditions. Participants will develop the awareness to recognise relevant signs, respond appropriately, and communicate effectively with families and health professionals.
This section equips participants with a substantive toolkit of classroom strategies drawn from inclusive education best practice and 17 years of applied experience teaching students with Down syndrome. Across five focused lessons, participants will develop skills in adapted instruction, multi-modal teaching, visual support implementation, the Circles social skills framework, behaviour and consequence management, including the critical 5-second rule and fatigue recognition and response. All content is directly applicable to the dance studio context.
This section addresses the operational and relational dimensions of inclusive practice at the studio level. Participants will examine enrolment and intake processes designed to gather meaningful information, effective communication frameworks for building trust with families of students with Down syndrome, and the cultural and policy foundations of a genuinely inclusive studio. This section is particularly relevant for studio owners and directors responsible for embedding inclusive practice across their organisation.