The Role of Performing Arts in Promoting Valued Communication Outcomes in Individuals With and Without Developmental Disabilities

Although not often used in the area of speech and language instruction, performing arts (such as improvisation, instrumental, vocal, and dance performance) provide a context for self-expression that involves both structure and opportunities for self-expression and can offer an opportunity to contribute to a motivating activity in individual, unique ways. We describe a semester-long performing arts class in which students from various majors and with and without developmental disabilities together learn various performing art forms (specifically, improvisation, vocal performance, and diverse forms of dance) for the first half of the semester. The students work together the second half of the semester to create a final performance. Student reflections that were gathered during one semester (with approval from the institutional review board) were examined descriptively to provide student perspectives into the program and to help understand how the structure supported interpersonal relations. Student reflections suggested that the structure of learning the various performing arts resulted in establishment of authentic peer relationships through three pillars of friendship proposed by Finke (2016): (a) the opportunity to engage in fun and motivating activities, (b) the presence of repeated/multiple opportunities to engage in the activities together, and (c) the establishment of a safe environment where each individual's contribution added something of value to the activity. This descriptive analysis identified mechanisms by which performing arts can be a valuable context for supporting important social and communication goals in individuals with and without developmental disabilities.