2.1 Inclusive education and learning in extra-ordinaryyouths
Inclusive education takes characteristics of youths with and without disabilities into account. It involves modifying the material or group activities to include all the participants and to be open to diversity (Duchesne, 2002). This section proposes some pedagogical indications that can facilitate participation and learning inextra-ordinary 11We use the term extra-ordinary to designate youths who are living with physical or cognitive disabilities. This terminological choice attributes a positive sense to their differences and signifies our recognition of the value they bring to our society. youths and their peers, in the context of implementing an inclusive, adaptive musical program offered remotely.
The teaching-learning process for extra-ordinary youths must take into account their potential and the different supports they might need. To do this, a cognitivist and constructivist vision of learning can be applied (Norman-Guérette, 2012). Cognitively, the youths need the teacher to account for latency time (or reaction time) when giving instructions, so that they have the time to encode the information transmitted to them, process it, and produce an appropriate response. This strategy is used by parents, teachers, and can also be taught to peers in order to facilitate interactions and help to develop communication and social interaction skills (Julien-Gauthier et al., 2018). It is also useful for verifying the youths’ comprehension when they hesitate to act. Similarly, the teacher must adjust to the student’s rhythm by guiding them attentively toward the acquisition of new knowledge (Côté et al., 2016). Further cognitive aspects can be considered: the teacher must arrange the environment in order to capture and hold youths’ attention. Learning must be structured to help keep attention directed toward important elements. The tone of voice, for example, can be modified, actions can be associated with words, or students’ active participation can be encouraged by inviting them to repeat what has just been taught (Jourdan-Ionescu & Julien-Gauthier, 2011). From a constructivist perspective, motivation is a determining factor in learning. Using youths’ interests and preferences can inspire and reinforce their motivation to complete a task. Lessons must be concrete, gratifying, and should draw on prior knowledge. The constructivist approach also allows the youth to participate in the construction of their own knowledge. In extra-ordinary youths, new knowledge must be consolidated with frequent and repeated practice, to anchor it to existing knowledge. The youth is thus given responsibility for their own learning process, by drawing on their existing capabilities and by stimulating them to engage more and more in the activity (Normand-Guérette, 2012). Extra-ordinary youths learn in context, because of the challenges posed to them by the transfer and generalization of knowledge acquired in a new environment (Martin-Roy, 2019). On the organizational side, instituting a routine is useful because it creates a certain familiarity, a security that makes the youth more available for learning (Chénard, 2020).