Ducks on the Moon: The Musical

Burke’s (2010) one-woman play “Ducks on the Moon” (DOTM), a performative memoir, chronicled her journey from denial to acceptance to celebration of her son’s diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Songs were written and added; DOTM became a performative musical memoir. More than that, as a professor of Educational Psychology, Scott Anthony conducted an Arts-Based Educational Research project (ABER). A workshop performance of DOTM was presented to in-service and pre-service teachers. Focus group interviews followed. This audience learned much about ASD, about family-professional relationships, about inclusive practice—and about how a musical may serve as effective professional development for educators.