Josh Garcia 11

Drama in
classrooms

WHAT STUDENTS
WILL BENEFIT WITH
DRAMA
TECHNIQUES

COMMUNICATION
DISORDER

AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDER

STUDENTS WITH LD
What is drama in the classroom?
Drama in the classroom is essentially using theater based
strategies in academic classrooms and to help students with
learning disabilities. Using drama techniques has been shown to
improve students engagement with one another, self-efficacy and
empathy.

ALL PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY
STUDENTS

These strategies are good for all primary and secondary students
but also very helpful to students with autism spectrum disorder
and students with LD.

HOW SHOULD A
TEACHER USE THESE
STRATAGIES?
During warmups
For community building
Close out the lesson

Josh Garcia 11

Strategies
Intro game: each student stands up and tells
the class their name and something about
themselves. Each student that follows has to
repeat the name of each previous student and
the fact that they shared. This allows each
student to practice speaking in public and
sharing information about themselves. This strategy
also is great for community building.
Non-verbal exercises:
Funny walks: students use an infinite variety of methods to walk across the room. The
students will incorporate weight, rhythm, and intention in their walk. This allows students who
may be self-conscious about their gait, to see that there is no one way to walk.
Verbal exercises:
To tell the truth: in this exercise there will be a group of students that will retell a story that
happened to one of the group members, as if it had happened to them. The goal is to see if the
rest of the class can guess who the story actually happened to. This exercise has many
components that it helps students with, first it promotes empathy in the students because
they have to retell the story with the same emotions as the students who it actually happened
to. It forces both verbal and non-verbal skills because of the motions and emotions the
students have to mimic or come up with.

References
Schnapp, L., Olsen, C. (2003). Teaching selfadvocacy strategies through drama. Intervention in
Schools and Clinic. 38(4), 211-219
Trowsdale, J., Hayhow, R. (2013). Can mimetics, a
theatre-based practice, open
possibilities for young people with learning
disabilities? a capability approach. British Journal of
Special Education.40(2), 71-79
Loyd, D. (2013). Gaining views from pupils with
Autism about their participation in drama classes.
British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 43, 8-15