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Teaching Students with Disabilities discussion forum for Elementary Music teachers

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Joi Chapman
Joi Chapman
Posts: 3


4/3/2017
Joi Chapman
Joi Chapman
Posts: 3
I had students with SLD and some IND come to specials with regular ed 3rd grade students that were learning recorders. Some did not have the physical dexterity to cover the holes, but knew which holes to cover for the first few basic songs. First I had the note names written under the notes, with their help in identifying them verbally. then, when they wanted to play and to 'test', I had helpers assist them in keeping the holes covered. they were always so excited when they could hear themselves playing the melodies. I rewarded them with recorder karate belts just as I did the regular ed students without disabilities.
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Chavis Cook
Chavis Cook
Posts: 3


4/11/2017
Chavis Cook
Chavis Cook
Posts: 3
I had a student with an Orthopedic Impairment. I allowed her to compete a composing assignment via computer instead of hand written.
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Alba Chong-You
Alba Chong-You
Posts: 3


4/13/2017
Alba Chong-You
Alba Chong-You
Posts: 3
I once had a first grade child with orthopedic impairment who had difficulty writing with a pencil/marker, who was also non-verbal. I would adapt assessments for her by asking her to point instead of circle/bubble in an answer. In addition, when working with rhythms (quarter note and eighth note pairs) she could "show me" the rhythm by clapping it. I had her use craft sticks to show the rhythms sometimes. She was very successful with her rhythm fluency by the end of the year.
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Marie Radloff
Marie Radloff
Posts: 3


4/17/2017
Marie Radloff
Marie Radloff
Posts: 3
I have a fifth grade student who is intellectually impaired. When assessing him for progress on recorder, I modify his assignments. Rather than requiring him to read & play an eight-measure song, I assess him on his ability to echo simple four-note patterns on recorder during the warm-up time in the class period. He is enthusiastic about music and playing the recorder, and has continued to progress in his playing skills from having trouble placing hands/fingers correctly to being able to echo simple four-note patterns.
edited by Marie Radloff on 4/17/2017
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Karen VanBeek
Karen VanBeek
Posts: 3


4/22/2017
Karen VanBeek
Karen VanBeek
Posts: 3
I have a student who does not speak or sing in class, but I have found that if I allow him to come to me and answer in my ear, I can assess his knowledge as well as pitch matching.
edited by Karen VanBeek on 4/22/2017
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La Toya Wilson
La Toya Wilson
Posts: 6


4/24/2017
La Toya Wilson
La Toya Wilson
Posts: 6
Students with IND, E/BD, a resource I am currently using is John Jacobson, Music Express Magazine to use a hands on approach to follow melody and rhythm maps, secondly use peer teaching and listening maps.
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mary wright
mary wright
Posts: 3


4/25/2017
mary wright
mary wright
Posts: 3
I have classes with mixed ASD, IND, deaf and all ages in one group. They are on many different levels. Some sing and participate fully while others just sit or run around the room. I can usually get them to sing by using a toy microphone. Doing that, I found that some can sing quite well. I also use response cards, but some students will just drop them on the floor and not answer. I can assess rhythm playing and reading by letting each student create a rhythm with picture or note cards for everyone else to play and speak. Then I can observe each student.
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Lisa Duxbury
Lisa Duxbury
Posts: 3


4/26/2017
Lisa Duxbury
Lisa Duxbury
Posts: 3
I adapted an assessment for my student with cerebral palsy who does not verbalize with us. The assessment was to sing So-Mi-Do, "Yes, I am here." to assess correct pitch and head voice. This assessment was adapted by giving this student a glockenspiel for his lap with just the three pitches attached and he was assessed on high-middle-low playing and playing the rhythm.
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La Toya Wilson
La Toya Wilson
Posts: 6


5/1/2017
La Toya Wilson
La Toya Wilson
Posts: 6
An adaptive approach I have used in the music classroom are color coded notes in a power point to identify pitch, color coded desk bells and notes to read notation provided. In classifying and categorizing instruments I cut and paste pictures of instrument into color coded family boxes.student listen to a sound bank and circle timbre words to describe the sounds of a particular instrument. The assessments are Ongoing and Summative in the units of study I cover. At the beginning of each unit their is a brief pre-test in the format of a power point presentation and with a basic answer sheet provided and each student does a self check then a Post test at the end of each unit either written, verbal, or performance.
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Caroline Hood
Caroline Hood
Posts: 3


5/1/2017
Caroline Hood
Caroline Hood
Posts: 3
I have a student that will sit with his para in the back of the classroom and selectively participate in activities. He is constantly listening and soaking up the knowledge, but will not take a quiz on paper or speak in class. When assessing him, I will use technology to get him to respond. Many of the quizzes we take are through our curriculum, so when the class has a printed out exam, I have him take it on the tablet.
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Emily Ewing
Emily Ewing
Posts: 5


5/5/2017
Emily Ewing
Emily Ewing
Posts: 5
When doing ActivExpression assessments with my self-contained ESE classes I never changed the assessment, or made it less challenging, instead I provided students with extra support. For example, one class I did a review right before the quiz and allowed the students to take notes using a music whiteboard. That way during the assessment, they could use the whiteboard to help them answer tough questions, double check their answer before they sent it, and having their whiteboard made them less scared to take the assessment knowing they had support.
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Sondra Collins
Sondra Collins
Posts: 3


5/7/2017
Sondra Collins
Sondra Collins
Posts: 3
I teach many students with Intellectual Disabilities, and with each I give formative assessments with modified performing goals. For example, if the goal is for my students to play a broken bordun on the xylophone, the goal for the student with an intellectual disability may be to play a simpler chord bordun with hands together.
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Melissa Spaulding
Melissa Spaulding
Posts: 3


5/15/2017
I have several students who have the accommodation of additional time on quizzes/tests. These students also require more breaks or to have the ability to stand while testing. For these students, I allow them to take their test away from the other students so they have room to move in their space and are clear of any distractions. They are also provided the additional time that is stated in their IEPs.
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Rose Francis
Rose Francis
Posts: 3


5/25/2017
Rose Francis
Rose Francis
Posts: 3
By using accommodations such as extended time, changing environment, allowing alternative assessment styles or forms. Technology can be used with assessments for example using keyed in clickers.
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Hannah Sharron Gibson
Hannah Sharron Gibson
Posts: 3


5/27/2017
I had a student with Specific Learning Disabilities whose IEP including being read aloud to and getting extending time in a small group setting. While he received these accommodations for the pre-assessment and summative evaluation, my ongoing assessments needed to be improved so I could give immediate feedback and continually shape instruction based on the data. I decided to create quick in-class assessments, but instead of "response cards," I used a program called Plickers, which uses paper clickers and a phone app to scan the barcodes when students hold their answer up. I kept the questions focused on key concepts and showed students their progress. After viewing their progress, I prompted students to discuss why they chose their answers, which allowed for my student with SLD to verbalize his misunderstanding and receive immediate feedback from the teacher. This helped me identify weaknesses in understanding for my students with disabilities right away. I also had this student using a thinking map as an exit ticket to check for understanding, then provided feedback after I had an opportunity to review it.
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Michael Truhan
Michael Truhan
Posts: 3


5/28/2017
Michael Truhan
Michael Truhan
Posts: 3
When we identify students in our guitar program that have limited motor skill abilities, I am purposeful in the music i assign them to prepare. They might work on a song that has only two or three chord shapes to form. Or instead of finger picking I allow them to strum. I still hold them accountable to playing music "seamlessly" in regards to tempo. They practice any accommodations with a metronome to avoid the dreaded "stop and change" in the left hand. When it comes to assessment, they are allowed to use these modifications, including a slower tempo, but their rubric still demands a smooth transition between chords or single notes. Often, I will visit the student one on one prior to an assessment and have them show me where they are in their preparation and offer any final suggestions so they keep their focus on the goal of the assessment.
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Jennette Knoblauch
Jennette Knoblauch
Posts: 3


5/30/2017
Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.


One way that I adapt assessments is by allowing the student to perform. If the goal is to be able to hit the 'g' bar for three counts, and rest, I will allow the student to pick any bar they want and rest on the fourth beat. I might focus more on the ability to actually play the instrument correctly, instead of playing the correct notes all of the time. I have found that this helps the student to slow down concentrate on small portions of the material.
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Katherine Plank
Katherine Plank
Posts: 3


5/30/2017
Katherine Plank
Katherine Plank
Posts: 3
I did a lesson on different sections of music with a first grade class that had students with disabilities included. After the lesson we did a summative, aural assessment to see how well they understood the lesson. They had to close their eyes and raise their hands when the music changed to a new section. I wrote the directions, explained, and modeled them for the students so everyone could be successful.
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Susan Packer
Susan Packer
Posts: 4


5/31/2017
Susan Packer
Susan Packer
Posts: 4
I was preparing a 5th grade class for a spring performance and one of the young cellists with ASD was unable to play entire measures in tempo. For his assessment, (the concert) we agreed that he would perform only the notes on beat 1 of each measure pizzicato. He was able to participate and contribute a very positive pulse that actually helped the ensemble. Additional accommodations included color coding the notes on the music to the tapes on the cello, writing in the names and fingerings of the notes and lots of one on one pointing to the music to establish where beat one occurred. To be honest, I think he pretty much memorized the pattern, but he felt very successful.
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Dominique E
Dominique E
Posts: 3


6/6/2017
Dominique E
Dominique E
Posts: 3
I have had many students who require extra time on tests. One accommodation was to allow them to take the test online at their own pace or with their paraprofessional, if there is one present. Another informal assessment I have done is using the smart board with visuals, click and drag items, and matching items to ease away from paper-based assessment.
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