|
Administrator Administrator Posts: 18
4/11/2016
|
Think of a student with a disability you have now, or have had in the past. Identify their disability. Describe the way in which their disability affected their learning. Describe at least one or more ways you successfully accommodated or modified instruction for this student. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Tiffany Demps Posts: 3
5/24/2016
|
I have a student in my theatre class that is on the autism spectrum. She struggles with social interactions and is extremely fixated on her specific likes and interests. This can make group projects very difficult. It can also be difficult to keep her engaged if she is not interested in the current topic, which can lead to behaviors that are very distracting to the class. One way that I successfully accomodated for this student is to use one of her favorite TV shows as a source for monologues and group acting scenes. Because of her extreme interest in the characters and plot, she was engaged and focused, eagerly learning lines, talking about characterization, even going as far as to create a costume for the project.
|
|
|
+3
link
|
|
ileana reich Posts: 8
6/2/2016
|
Hi, I agree with the way you handled this situation" "Tiffany Demps wrote:
I have a student in my theatre class that is on the autism spectrum. She struggles with social interactions and is extremely fixated on her specific likes and interests. This can make group projects very difficult. It can also be difficult to keep her engaged if she is not interested in the current topic, which can lead to behaviors that are very distracting to the class. One way that I successfully accomodated for this student is to use one of her favorite TV shows as a source for monologues and group acting scenes. Because of her extreme interest in the characters and plot, she was engaged and focused, eagerly learning lines, talking about characterization, even going as far as to create a costume for the project. ". I had a student two years in a row in a regular Ed class who was autistic. Social interaction was an issue. I am happy to note that by the end of the second year, he took a try at leading a Socratic seminar. He volunteered! My hope is that students and teachers continue to think out of the box to get learning goals met, but also to provide a safe environment where they may want to step out and do things they have never done before.
Ileana Reich
|
|
|
+2
link
|
|
Debra Bellamy Posts: 3
4/24/2016
|
I taught a blind student who was attempting to learn 6th grade math. She did not know her addition facts or subtraction facts. We used blocks with braille and printed numbers on them. At first, I lined up the blocks to make the addition exercises and had her feel the exercise as I explained what she was touching. She used technology to add single digits and I taught her to line up the answer underneath the exercise. I taught her addition with carrying. She used her braille machine when I gave her a quiz or test.
|
|
|
+2
link
|
|
KAREN ROMINE Posts: 4
4/25/2016
|
I have a couple of students who are hearing impaired and I teach Chorus. It affects the class in that if the student is unable to hear the music, it makes pitch matching, improvising harmonies and many other elements of this performance based class difficult for all concerned. One thing I always do is make sure that they are close to the source of the music...whether that be an instrument, a person or a speaker. Another thing I do is surround them with strong singers so that they are encompassed by the sound. Finally, I have worked with students privately after school to help them with pitch matching and recognition incorporating hand signs to communicate pitch directionality and specific interval sizes. I also provide recordings of their voice part, the accompaniment and the voice parts of all the other singers to allow them to practice at home.
--
Chorus Teacher Middle/High School
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
ileana reich Posts: 8
6/2/2016
|
Hi Kim,
Wow! This idea was great thinking: "Kim Squicciarini wrote:
I have had a student with high functioning autism (aspergers). This disability can be made very apparent in an environment where self awareness and ability to think outside of the box is a plus. This student felt very comfortable with situations that are black and white and that he could complete on his own. In the fine arts there are a lot of cooperative assignments. I was able to meet his needs by allowing him to research topic for improve and present them to the class, basically putting him in the directors seat. This way he felt a level of control in this situation. He enjoyed the technical side of things so he was on the lights and mics where his level of concentration was an asset. ". I like the way you put him in the driver seat!
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Chris Waterman Posts: 2
9/15/2016
|
I too have several students in my theatre classes with high functioning autism (Asperger's). I've found that many of them are wanting to work by themselves. Due to the nature of my theatre class setup & requirements, the students work in collaborative groupings (paired partners, small/large group) and write their own scripts. One young man had some difficulties in writing his script by hand due to having poor writing skills. He and his partners decided they would use their IPads in class along with working on Google Docs to create their script. This helped the young man feel better about the writing process & since that time he has returned for another Theatre class and actually wrote in a reflective journal entry that he really likes writing his own scripts and acting them out on the class stage.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Christa Whittaker Posts: 5
1/30/2019
|
I currently have a student, Trey, who is autistic, but very enthusiastic about theatre. He struggles with a few self control issues and social anxiety, but is very creative. I discovered that he works best alone, and not on a crew, because when I tried to put him in a crew ( thinking that other students could help him get projects done) he froze and would not do anything, but on individual portfolio type projects, he would blow everyone else out of the water and get the highest scores. Trey is in his second year of design and production, and I have given him free reign over prop creation-- he loves the research and the crafting, and he never lets me down. His confidence has soared, and he is even in our Mainstage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as Philostrate, and he was the first one to be off book. I still have to monitor him to keep him on a timetable, but he has made tremendous progress working in the cast/crew/company and has not had a single panic attack this year.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Kyle Lacertosa Posts: 4
6/21/2019
|
I had a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder who was not only an excellent actor, but he was also very interested in art and comic books. When things would become too much for him in class, I would allow him to “take a break” from the group and use that time to create set designs or art work for the scenes or shows we were working on.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Kyle Lacertosa Posts: 4
6/21/2019
|
I had a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder who was not only an excellent actor, but he was also very interested in art and comic books. When things would become too much for him in class, I would allow him to “take a break” from the group and use that time to create set designs or art work for the scenes or shows we were working on.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Billy Buff Posts: 3
1/24/2020
|
I have a student who is on the ASD spectrum who has been in both my history and theater classes over the last 3 years. He is obsessed with details. Once I realized this, I started working with him on scenic design since precision in necessary when designing sets especially for safety concerns. He loves building his models and making sure his painting is just right. He is currently updating his set design for Macbeth to take it to State Conference.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Martin Rohleder Posts: 3
10/29/2020
|
I have been working with a student with intellectual disabilities as well as other disabilities. He was hesitant to perform or even speak in class, but now with the help of an aid that is more supportive of his abilities and temperament the student has been more apt to try and perform regularly! I have to keep a calm tone with the student and make everything sound "chill" so he doesn't build up the assignments to be something of a big deal that he wouldn't be able to handle.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
April Morales Posts: 3
1/7/2021
|
I've had several students with autism in my performance programs. They each enjoyed being part of the ensemble, making friends, and singing/acting. Their parents were very involved, which helped immensely. I also had a student in a wheelchair (degenerative disorder) who was able to participate in dance choreography with the assistance of her cast-mates. We had a conversation about what she wanted to do, and what she was comfortable with. We ended up decorating her chair with sequins and feathers, and she was a part of the entire show.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Cintia Ally Posts: 1
1/25/2021
|
I have a student with a speech impairment. He is eager to do well and enjoys theatre, but his speaking ability slows him down.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Holly Harris Posts: 3
2/11/2021
|
I have a theatre student with lower body orthopedic issues. Moving up and down stairs and platforms on our set would be very painful and slow for this student. I find ways to block this student so his character can safely maneuver through scenes while also keeping the story intact.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Jennifer L Julian Posts: 1
2/16/2021
|
I have a student with autism spectrum disorder in my theatre class, and he loves being the center of attention. While he doesn't have issues with social interaction and talking to others, sometimes he does have an issue with appropriate social interaction, and often talks out of turn, or interrupts students when they are trying to rehears on their own. For this I will gently correct him to let him know that the student is rehearsing and he needs to be quiet for them to concentrate, and remind him that he does need to work on his own rehearsal. I am also working on him on slowing down when he speaks his lines because he talks really fast and diction is lost. This comes with rehearsal and repeated direction.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Davis Joyner Posts: 3
1/29/2022
|
I had a student with selective mutism and the class was working on play. Since she would not speak any lines, partnered her up with another student. As a pair they performed one role together. She focused on the physical actions/dances and they other student did the lines/songs.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Audrey Schmidt Posts: 3
8/31/2022
|
I have taught our ACCESS Theatre class for the past four years, this is the class that caters to our students with disabilities on a modified curriculum. I have had the privilege of teaching a couple of these students for two years. One that stands out to me is a student with a severe visual impairment, orthopedic impairment, speech impairment, and an intellectual disability. On the surface so many people would assume this student would not thrive in a theatre environment. However, this student still enjoys, participates, and learns with us every step of the way. On choreography days we present the movement on a large screen in the auditorium and he is on the front row, with a traditional student directly in front of him doing the choreography so he can follow along. We help him problem solve to find ways to adapt the movement to account for his physical restrictions while still telling the story of the song. During improv games he sometimes just needs help staying focused and reminding him when its his turn to contribute in a large group setting. Repetition of an activity has been so important for him to master the skill- so we often repeat and come back to many of the same acting exercises- and over the last two years to see his growth and development in these acting skills as it becomes part of his daily routine has been amazing.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Nancy Oukasse Posts: 3
8/31/2022
|
Last year I had a student with autism in my Theatre Improvisation class. He had difficulty staying on task and tended to blurt out inappropriate things at odd times during scenes. He also had difficulty focusing on the action happening on the stage. To help him learn collaboration and process the scenes he was in as well as watching, I asked him to draw the scene he was seeing, then describe it to his classmates. They were wonderful at encouraging him and asking questions about what he thought was going on in the scene. He loved to draw and it kept him involved in the scene, but with something to do while others were acting. He would sometimes want to do a scene with the actors recreating what he had processed. There were some great moments in the new scenes as he was able to pull out what the other actors either implied or ignored as they moved through their scene. It really gave him and the others a sense of the ensemble we were trying to build.
|
|
|
+1
link
|