6/29/2016
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Francesca Veglia
|
I have two examples of past experiences with teaching students in self contained classes with disabilities. One was a class of autistic students in a bilingual school in Milwaukee. They had had music before but they had not purchased adaptive instruments for their students prior to my teaching at that school. Once I had a chance to talk with the classroom teacher and the aids that helped those who were in restrained positions in a chair, we were able to plan for a more successful music experience. We decided to get an order of several adapted instruments that come on stands that had suction cups on the bottom to help those students who could not pick up an instrument or could not use both hands successfully to play an instrument. The use of these instruments allowed the students more independence as they played their instruments along to the music. In this way it reduced the necessity of the Teacher's Aids to have to help manipulate the students hands to play, thus allowing me to see if the child could maintain a steady beat or short rhythm pattern on their own. For those who still had trouble we still had the Aid there to help out with a hand over hand method.
Another example was at a different school where I taught a class of Kindergarten students with Speech and Language deficits. Obviously the many echo songs that are in the Kindergarten Music Teachers' arsenal would not work for these students. So, other than movement songs, and boosting listening skills, I adapted early childhood math patterning books for the students to play patterns on instruments according to the manipulative that was made to go along with the book. We were able to cover metals, woods, drums, and shakers and scraper categories as they classified them. They echoed and later created, composing their own patterns, as they identified the sounds that went with the stories. Being a singer myself, I would sing the song stories and they would play the instruments that they chose to go along with the characters, or parts of the song. |
6/29/2016
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Francesca Veglia
|
I'm not sure I know how this reply works, however, To Ann McFall regarding the student with Cerebral Palsy I wonder if you have tried the music instrument apps on iPad. There are several including the xylophone, guitar, banjo, drums, vibraslap etc. that students who have trouble gripping can play with more ease, either using a finger or a modified marker if necessary. An Aid can help them to hold it in position or there are special stands that they can be stuck to with velcro. Our Art teacher found a foam frame for one she uses so that if it drops it will still be safe.
edited by Francesca Veglia on 6/29/2016 |