Special Needs

The children that participate in Special Gifts Theatre have a variety of special needs (physical, cognitive, learning, social). The breakdown of some of the diagnoses our children exhibit include, but are not limited to:

Asperger’s Syndrome
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism (Entire Spectrum)
Cerebral Malformations
Cerebral Palsy
Chromosomal Abnormalities (e.g. William’s Syndrome, Fragile X)
Congenital Myopathy
Down Syndrome
Hemiplegia
Hydrocephalus
Hypopituitary Dwarfism
Hyptonia (Poor Muscle Tone)
Learning Disabilities (Entire Spectrum)
Metabolic Disorders
Muscular Dystrophy
Nonverbal Language Disorder (NVLD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Pervasive Developmental Delays (PDD)
Rett Syndrome
Seizure Disorders
Speech and Language Deficits (including Auditory Processing, Speech and/or Perceptual Deficits)
Spina Bifida

Many of our children experience several of the above diagnoses simultaneously. Most of the children suffer developmental delays secondary to their primary diagnosis. The audiences who see our final production in the theatre are amazed at what the children accomplish on stage, considering the limitations certain diagnoses would imply. SGT focuses on the child’s abilities, not the disabilities. We adapt situations to present the child on stage showcasing his/her strengths. One example of this would be that a child with right-sided hemiplegia would be at the left end of a chorus line. This placement enables that child to do all movements with his strong dominant left side, while the student or mentor next to him would guide his weaker right side.

We take pride in the fact that many who see our productions walk away feeling that the children have "minimal" special needs. We are more proud of the fact that teachers who have these children everyday in class and do not normally see them perform well in the classroom, experience first-hand the success these same children have during SGT’s production. These teachers then go back to the classroom with renewed enthusiasm and begin to use our techniques to tap into the students' strengths.