SPECIAL NEEDS
Making a Connection with Students with Special Needs
Craig Price, director of community education and wellness at The Naples Players (TNP), works remotely with students in TNP’s Wellness Education Program.
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tudents with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities, are significantly overlooked during crises like COVID-19. This growing population deeply depends on social networks and standard routines to inform them of the world.
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During quarantine these students often lack any social interaction or therapy, creating a backslide of momentum. This can create significant fear and anxiety for the individual, and a significant behavioral response that can have an impact on their families and caregivers. But The Naples Players is providing an answer. The Naples Players (TNP) Wellness Education program is taking each student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) and working toward in-school goals even while students are at home. Using the foundations of improvisation to teach the concepts of healthy habits (masks, social distancing, sanitation, etc.), students learn to express complex emotions while interacting with their peers. This program also has been used to connect patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases to achieve continued therapeutic response. Ensuring that all students can benefit from the experience of arts therapy, TNP has expanded to offer programs to students and adults who are suffering from anxiety, addressing the loneliness and mental health impact of quarantine and giving students powerful tools through improv with therapists to reduce anxiety and loneliness. “We’re really proud of the community impact these programs have had,” said Bryce Alexander, executive artistic director of TNP. “The therapeutic effects of the arts have been proven again and again, but it can be hard to find these services. We know that during this time they are more important than ever, and we’re excited to be a leader in this regard.” In general, little support exists to help provide important virtual instruction to students with disabilities, and the stigma of “therapy” prevents many students and adults from engaging in therapeutic programs from which they would benefit. “We know that COVID-19 and quarantine has left these individuals without the information, tools, and connections they need to continue to thrive in their new environment,” said Craig Price, director of community education and wellness at TNP. “But these programs provide information, tools, and laughter that help all of us.” The Naples Players will continue to offer these programs both virtually and in-person for the immediate future. “There’s no reason to end something that is doing so much good,” said Alexander. But the theater is depending on donations from local families to keep the programs affordable to all. A grant from the Suncoast Credit Union and the Community Foundation of Collier County have enabled the theater to ensure that students from every socioeconomic background have access to the classes. For more information, visit www.naplesplayers.org. NEAPOLITANfamily • November 2020
