Teaching with Excellence in an Inclusive Arts Classroom
led by: Cody Puckett
Students who have autism have been growing in the number of years recently. Arts educators are faced with new challenges in working with their unique needs and abilities. Through national legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act allows all students to receive a well-rounded education involving music and the arts. Teachers may feel ill-prepared to have a student who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their class. In this professional learning session, we will be discussing disability awareness, characteristics of autism, and adaptable lessons for music, art, dance, and PE. These special content areas can open up students who have autism to a deeper level of appreciation for the arts!
PRESENTER BIO:
Cody Puckett, Adaptive Music Educator, Polk County Schools
Mr. Cody Puckett (he/him) is an adaptive music educator working with students who have mild to severe exceptionalities. He received his BA in Music and Deaf Education from Flagler College and his M.Ed. in Special Education from Florida Gulf Coast University. He is a trained vocalist and pianist and has performed with a traveling performing arts college group based in California. Mr. Puckett serves the profession in many ways. He is an adjunct at the College of the Florida Keys, instructing Exceptional Students Education (ESE) courses at the undergraduate level. Mr. Puckett is a Florida ambassador for the Division of Visual and Performing Arts within the Council for Exceptional Children. He acts under the Diverse Learners Committee as a Florida Music Educators Association member. He services partnerships through Polk County Schools as a board member for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Advocate Coalition and as a Fine Arts Council Member. He has continued to empower students of all ages and abilities over the past five years from K-12 and beyond. He has presented at state conferences in Florida, and nationally. His professional work focuses on neurodiversity and accessibility in music environments. Mr. Puckett passionately believes in accessible music classrooms for all!