REACHING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS THROUGH THE ARTS WORKSHOP.

The MSU Riley center put on a workshop for teachers this afternoon. The event was to help area educators, enhance their special needs classrooms, with the aid of arts and music.

Music educator, Dr. Ryan Hourigan spent the afternoon hosting a workshop, for Lauderdale county, special needs teachers.

“We were doing a teacher workshop specifically aimed at how to integrate the arts into classrooms for kids with disabilities.”

The day long workshop was composed of two parts.

“So this morning we did a three hour workshop, on theory and a little bit of practice. And this afternoon we invited some groups of kids to come in and I’m using the things we talked about this morning with real kids in the afternoon.

Throughout the afternoon, students had the opportunity to play games, hear a story and create music, all in the name of education.

“Often kids on the spectrum have a hard time socially. So, I wanted to make sure that they were comfortable. And today was their first day they had ever met me so, I was concerned that they just needed some comfort in the room.”

And the spectating teachers, learned a lot, throughout the day.

The workshop was a grant funded effort, that focused on working with teachers who help students with special needs.