Which would be the best strategy for promoting Lucy’s participation in a music-and-movement activity for a 14-month-old with cerebral palsy who has not yet begun to walk?

Which would be the best strategy for promoting Lucy’s participation in a music-and-movement activity for a 14-month-old with cerebral palsy who has not yet begun to walk?

• A. Encouraging Lucy to provide support to her classmates by clapping and cheering for them
• B. Having a teacher hold Lucy in her arms while dancing in time to the music
• C. Encouraging Lucy to pretend to be an audience member who is attending a performance
• D. Having Lucy sit on a teacher's lap and help change the musical selections

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is giving a mobility-impaired toddler an opportunity to experience music and movement through supported participation. Having a teacher hold Lucy in her arms while dancing with the music lets her actively engage in movement and rhythm without needing to stand or walk. This setup provides physical support, enabling aligned movement with peers, sensory input, and social interaction, which are all important for development at this age. It makes the activity meaningful and inclusive, rather than passive. Options that focus on Lucy simply cheering for others, pretending to be a audience member, or sitting and helping with music selections don’t promote her own movement participation in the activity. They offer social involvement or decision-making at a remove from the movement itself, whereas the supported dance approach directly includes her in the movement experience.

The key idea here is giving a mobility-impaired toddler an opportunity to experience music and movement through supported participation. Having a teacher hold Lucy in her arms while dancing with the music lets her actively engage in movement and rhythm without needing to stand or walk. This setup provides physical support, enabling aligned movement with peers, sensory input, and social interaction, which are all important for development at this age. It makes the activity meaningful and inclusive, rather than passive.

Options that focus on Lucy simply cheering for others, pretending to be a audience member, or sitting and helping with music selections don’t promote her own movement participation in the activity. They offer social involvement or decision-making at a remove from the movement itself, whereas the supported dance approach directly includes her in the movement experience.