The really simple way to find a yoga teacher for adults with Learning Disabilities
If you are a group leader for adults with learning disabilities and would like yoga to be part of their activity programme the first step is to find a yoga teacher. This seems easy. There are many yoga teachers out there...but finding one who teacher adults with a learning disability are few and far between. This is because yoga teacher training rarely include specialist yoga such as learning disability. Children's yoga training will include learning disability but this is a stand alone case
In the first instance contact your local yoga teachers. See if they already teach yoga to adults with learning disability or would consider branching out into this specialist area. They may have not ever considered teaching yoga to this group but willing to explore this option.
They may not be interested but may know a fellow teacher who does teach yoga to adults with learning disability. Or they are willing to post on yoga teacher social media groups that you are looking for a yoga teacher or adults with learning disabilities. You never know!
Once you have located your teacher arrange to meet. Discuss your groups unique abilities. Invite the yoga teacher to meet the group on an informal basis. Ask the teacher about their experience, how they structure yoga class, and adapt class structure and postures to meet the needs of your group.
All yoga teachers are trained to the expected standard of their registration body such as Yoga Alliance (YA)or British Wheel of Yoga (BWY). They are trained to teach their particular style of yoga safely, competently and to provide adjustments to the practice to meet the needs of their yoga class. However teaching yoga to adults with learning disabilities challenges the yoga teacher in their lesson planning, class design and selection of postures, communication, providing adaptations to poses and managing a very enthusiastic and chatty group of people!
Having no experience teaching yoga to adults with a learning disability should not be a reason to exclude this person. They may have a wealth of knowledge working with this group in another capacity. Their willingness to learn, adapt class and over riding enthusiasm for teaching yoga to adults with learning disabilities should be key to you wanting to work with the yoga teacher.
When I started I had no prior knowledge about teaching yoga to adults with learning disabilities. I learnt as I went along. I was supported by my yoga teacher trainer to include themes from children's yoga and collaborative work with a good friend who is a registered nurse (learning disability) ensured the class was adult focused with supportive tools for communication, movement and identifying left and right applied from learning disability techniques.Our class has evolved and now looks nothing like the class that I first presented 2 years ago
I found it very difficult to find specialist training courses for yoga teachers who want to teach adults with learning disabilities. Some training centres only include autism and ADHD whilst others include a variety of non learning disability diagnosis under the name of 'special needs'. Hence from my learning I am developing a training course for yoga teachers. This is in collaboration with my friend who has over 30 years experience as a registered nurse in learning disability. Our goal is to develop training for yoga teachers, giving them a framework from which to work in developing their own yoga classes for people with a wide variety of learning disabilities.
Finding a yoga teacher to teach yoga to adults with a learning disability may seem like a simple process. However it may seem like you are looking for a needle in a haystack! With perseverance and collaborative working with your identified yoga teacher you can deliver very successful yoga classes to adults with learning disabilities.