Yani Rubio reaches students through the strings on her guitar.
Emmanuel Medina, 9, listens, sings and dances. His autism doesn't get in the way.
"Music tends to be intrinsically motivating," said Rubio on one recent morning, as she was preparing a dozen students for a bus trip ride to the circus.
They attend Villa Lyan in Kendall, a private school for children with developmental disabilities.
Rubio sits on a mat with her guitar. Her melody turns chaos into cooperation, and that's not all she can do.
"I can work on all academic, developmental goals through music and the children just think they're having fun," Rubio said.
Medina could hardly speak when he started at the school in 2008. Now, his mother says she can communicate better with her son.
"Emmanuel has actually really started talking alot and being more clear," said Dee Medina.
And he's excited about the circus. "Zebras!" he shouted, telling his mom what he wanted to see.
Rubio said she hopes her students find inclusion in their lives, and that others will "see the children's abilities."
Follow Julia Bagg on Twitter at @juliabagg.
