Embodied narrative learning as an inclusive practice in early childhood settings: rhythm, movement, and emotional engagement in children with autism spectrum disorder

The increasing commitment to inclusive education in preschools and elementary schools highlights the need for teachers to develop competencies not only in verbal and visual forms of teaching, but also in understanding nonverbal expressions, body language, and spontaneous sounds or movements of children. This qualitative multiple case study explores how embodied narrative learning processes unfold among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were collected through long-term participant observation. The inductive thematic analysis focused on spontaneous and unintentional behaviours as meaningful forms of participation and self-expression. Findings highlight that allowing and amplifying unintentional movement and vocalization enabled children to participate meaningfully, even when verbal communication was limited. Children engaged with story-based activities, musical repetition, and dramatization, gradually developing narrative understanding, affective expression, and social synchrony. These observations align with theories of embodied cognition and Unintentional Music, showing that spontaneous bodily and vocal behaviours can serve as resources for learning and emotional regulation in children with or without ASD. The study suggests that narrative – rhythm-movement activities may foster language development, emotional regulation, and social attunement in children with ASD. Embracing unintentional behaviour as a communicative and creative resource offers significant pedagogical implications for early childhood education.