Getting up to SpEED: Special Education Embodied Design for Sensorially Equitable Inclusion

Abstract

We present the implications of a novel approach to design-based research, Special Education Embodied Design (SpEED), for inclusive education. SpEED is a new way of thinking about how Special Education students can learn through whole-body participation (Tancredi et al., in press). The goal of SpEED is to update our thinking about special education and inclusion based on the latest developments in cognitive science. We illustrate the utility of embodied design to teaching and research on issues affecting learners in Special Education through examples centering different Special Education populations, including Deaf learners, learners on the autism spectrum, and sensory-seeking learners. Each project focuses on deepening the learning opportunities we offer students by using learners' existing embodied resources. We conclude with a commentary on considerations for implementing SpEED within the Italian educational system.

Development of embodied listening studies with multimodal and wearable haptic interfaces for hearing accessibility in music

“…This composition redirects participants' attention from solely auditory listening to more tactile, visual, and kinesthetic listening. Tancredi et al (2021) highlight how embodied perspectives not only inspire new design approaches but also change definitions and designs for accessibility. Increased accessibility necessitates the active participation of the user group in the design process and shared spaces for creativity among designers and performers (Quintero, 2022).…”

Toward Synergizing Educational Research and Movement Sciences: a Dialogue on Learning as Developing Perception for Action

“…We plan a systematic survey of the cognitive-psychology and movement literature to identify other possible forms of spontaneous or guided perceptual/imaginary solutions to movement problems. Equipped with this knowledge, Abrahamson's team could (1) improve the understanding of grounded learning processes; (2) expand and diversify instructional offerings through designing new technological activities that explicitly solicit those types of hitherto-unconsidered perceptual solutions; (3) potentially reach toward more complex mathematical concepts by way of soliciting more complex perceptual achievement; and (4) continue to develop inclusive design frameworks for differently abled students to access mathematical concepts (Abrahamson et al, 2019;Lambert et al, 2022;Tancredi et al, 2021b).…”

Enactive Perception as Mathematics Learning

“…Note the opening motto from Terence Tao, or read Hadamard (1945). Sense making is, not metaphorically alone, getting a grip on things (Abrahamson, 2021;Abrahamson & Sánchez-García, 2016;Hutto, 2019).…”

“…Embodied design enlists in this transformative activist stance. Moreover, embodied design reframes how we serve students of sensorial and cognitive diversity Lambert et al, 2022;Tancredi et al, 2021).…”