Enhancing Skills of Adults with DD through Social Ballroom Dance

Enhancing Skills of Adults with DD through Social Ballroom Dance

Copyright Debra K. Shumard 2008

Course Description

May I Have This Dance? is a continuing education course for the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) as well as professionals in the ancillary services who work with adults with DD.  The course examines skills deficits present in adults with developmental disabilities (DD) and addresses methods of improving and enhancing those skills through the use of social ballroom dance and dance etiquette skills.  As an intervention, dance instruction for individuals with DD may result in enhancing skills in all four domains: physical, cognitive, affective, and social.  

Course Rationale

Several disciplines have examined dance as an intervention with various populations such as clients in psychiatric settings, at-risk youth, older adults, and individuals with developmental disabilities. Therapeutic recreation specialists, social workers, and other professionals working with these populations, could incorporate dance as an intervention strategy.  Dance could serve as a tool for targeting improvements in the four domains; In addition, it is a leisure activity skill that can be generalized to various community settings.

Adults with developmental disabilities experience difficulty in community settings often because they lack social interaction skills and basic manners.   Social dance, when used as an intervention, is especially motivating because it teaches the necessary skills within the context of an activity they already enjoy.

Course Goals and Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of this course, the CTRS will be able to:

1.  Identify special needs of adults with DD in the area of socialization and interpersonal skills
2. Identify elements of social ballroom dance that can address socialization needs of adults with DD 
3. Describe use of social dance to address needs of adults with DD

Course Instructor

Debra K Shumard, CTRS
Managing Director, Beyond our Boundaries 2001- present
Instructor of Adapted Ballroom Dance, 1989-2004

Target Audience

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist (CTRS),
Professionals serving with adults with DD

Course Educational Level

This course is suitable for practitioners, administrators, or educators at any level.

Course Prerequisites

None

Criteria for issuance of Continuing Education Credits (CERTIFICATE)

The standard completion time for home-based self-study courses for .1CEU is approximately fifty minutes. Please confirm fifty minutes of study in the evaluation.  A documented score of 70% or greater on the written post-test warrants the completion certificate.

Continuing Education Credits

One (1) hour of continuing education credit
 (1 contact hour)
.1CEU

Please note:

The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) does not pre-approve continuing education.

However, this course addresses the following NCTRC Professional Knowledge Areas:

Key words: socialization skills, social dancing, dance movement therapy, creative movement, dance etiquette, mental retardation and developmental disabilities (DD).