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Teaching Students with Disabilities discussion forum for Elementary Music teachers

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Alicia Coon
Alicia Coon
Posts: 6


11/21/2017
Alicia Coon
Alicia Coon
Posts: 6
I have a fifth grade student who took a written test about the symphony where she was required to read information about each family of instruments and answer questions. When she failed the test, I talked to her teacher and found out she has a learning disability that affects comprehension when she reads. I met with the student one-on-one and asked her questions about each family of instruments (as discussed in class) and she verbally answered the questions, thus resulting in a passing score.
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Alicia Coon
Alicia Coon
Posts: 6


11/22/2017
Alicia Coon
Alicia Coon
Posts: 6
I had a student who was Visually Impaired. Two strategies I used with him to assist with learning to play the recorder were in the areas of presentation and setting. Even with moving the student closer to the board, he still could not read the notes. I had the music enlarged and put the enlarged copy in his music folder to practice with at home. During the test, I slowed the tempo down and allowed the student more time to play the song.
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Shannon Hull
Shannon Hull
Posts: 3


1/2/2018
Shannon Hull
Shannon Hull
Posts: 3
I currently teach a student with a visual disability. When we did a rhythm reading assessment, I displayed the notes with my projector for the student. This also helped other students who struggle with staying on task. As each student took their turn clapping the rhythm, the other students remained focused and listening, waiting for their turn.
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joimclain
joimclain
Posts: 2


1/3/2018
joimclain
joimclain
Posts: 2
I have used an alternative assessment in one of my recorder classes for a student who had trouble changing fingering positions at the pace needed to stay with the tempo of a recorded accompaniment. But she could should me the fingering positions when the note name was called out. She could also fill in the note names below the notes on a staff of a printed worksheet along with penciling in the fingering positions on simple pictures of recorders.
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Freamon McNair
Freamon McNair
Posts: 1


1/3/2018
Freamon McNair
Freamon McNair
Posts: 1
When I taught high school band , I had a flute player . He was a very brilliant young man who was ASD. His case was not as severe as others. He was very bright. He always wanted to do the right thing. As a flute player , he can learn as well as the other students. One of the things I have done is have him practice his part in repetition until he got the part right. When he becomes frustrated , I calmed him down and confirmed that everything was fine. I felt compelled to protect him from the other students who would make fun of him because of his disability. One coping strategy I shared with him was to avoid the peers who would attempt to degrade him. I have always been compassionate with students with disabilities because I have been where they have been.
edited by Freamon McNair on 1/4/2018
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David Hahn
David Hahn
Posts: 6


1/4/2018
David Hahn
David Hahn
Posts: 6
Choosing to answer option #2:
Think of a music student with a disability you have now (or have had in the past). Identify their disability. Review the Alternative Assessment Checklist and select two or more options that could potentially benefit this student in assessing his or her music learning. Share your response in the threaded discussion.

I currently have a student with Cerebral Palsy. Many times, the student has Occupational Therapy sessions to attend during music class time, so I don't get to see this student very often. Here are two options I would love try out with this student, in case the opportunity arises:

1.) Pre-written response cards could be a great way for me to assess what this student knows without dealing so much with handwriting difficulties. Multiple choice responses could be shown by pointing to or holding up a pre-written response card for checking on questions such as "What vocal timbre do you hear?" or "What instrument family does that recording sound like?".

2.) In case the student gets a chance to be in the music classroom when the class goes to play four-quarter-note-improvisations on keyboards in a lab (which might be considered a learning center), I would love to check if the student could play on an adaptive piano or assistive technology device such as a custom-made keyboard stand. If that option doesn't work, then maybe the student could pre-notate the improvisation on the iPad app Music4Kids and play it back in response to someone asking a question musically. This could allow the student to still meet an example standard of "Improvis[ing] short phrases in response to a given musical question." If none of the considerations for this example standard work directly, then the student could still meet the Access Points for this particular standard.
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Rachel Grelle
Rachel Grelle
Posts: 3


1/4/2018
Rachel Grelle
Rachel Grelle
Posts: 3
My student was on the autism spectrum and performing below grade level. Even though the student was not able to identify as many rhythms as his peers he was able to read quarter note, eighth note pairs and quarter rest. Therefore, during our exit ticket I had him create four-beat patterns using only those rhythms.
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Kara Thibodeau
Kara Thibodeau
Posts: 3


1/8/2018
Kara Thibodeau
Kara Thibodeau
Posts: 3
I have a student who was visually impaired and the vision improved when things were in green and blue. Throughout the year, I had two pictures up side by side of the same rhythmic values, but one was black and white and the other was blue on green. When it came time to assess on the rhythmic knowledge of quarter notes and eighth notes, I was able to give the same test to my visually impaired child and it was successful.
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Melanie Wyatt
Melanie Wyatt
Posts: 3


1/8/2018
Melanie Wyatt
Melanie Wyatt
Posts: 3
I have been using "Kahoot" on the iPads as an assessment tool. The students are very motivated and love demonstrating their knowledge in peer groups and as individuals. I've used it to assess music symbols, instrument sounds, note reading etc...It is a really fun and engaging way to assess.
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Dustin Burgess
Dustin Burgess
Posts: 3


1/26/2018
Dustin Burgess
Dustin Burgess
Posts: 3
Option 1: Provide/Describe one or more examples of adapted or alternative assessments you have successfully used in the music classroom for students with disabilities. Be sure to identify the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
I had a student with autism that was very sensitive to large crowds and loud noises, so he was afraid to perform on concerts (performance on a concert was part of the assessment). I had him perform his music for me in the music room without others watching for his assessment. This worked very well for him.
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Scott Firestone
Scott Firestone
Posts: 4


2/11/2018
Scott Firestone
Scott Firestone
Posts: 4
Administrator wrote:
Choose One(1):
  • Option 1: Provide/Describe one or more examples of adapted or alternative assessments you have successfully used in the music classroom for students with disabilities. Be sure to identify the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.

  • Option 2: Think of a music student with a disability you have now (or have had in the past). Identify their disability. Review the Alternative Assessment Checklist and select two or more options that could potentially benefit this student in assessing his or her music learning. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
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Adam Koppin
Adam Koppin
Posts: 3


3/15/2018
Adam Koppin
Adam Koppin
Posts: 3
I had a student in a self contained ESE class that tracked along very well in class. During the end of the year test, I read the questions to her and she was able to come up with the answers on her own.
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Erin Brunelle
Erin Brunelle
Posts: 3


3/26/2018
Erin Brunelle
Erin Brunelle
Posts: 3
Option 1: In my classroom students are required to make a visual representation of a phrase that we are working on ( could be rhythmic or melodic). Most students choose to do this with a white board and a dry erase marker. I have a few students that are unable to hold a marker comfortably, so i also alow students to use manipulatives to show their answer. My students with disabilities (as well as some other students without) use cubes or different cut-out shapes to show the phrase on the floor. They are able to manipulate them to show either the melodic contour or group them to show the rhythmic sounds. They are very confident doing it this way and are almost always successful.
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Scott Firestone
Scott Firestone
Posts: 4


3/26/2018
Scott Firestone
Scott Firestone
Posts: 4
Option 1
There are many ways that I accommodate my music assessments, both written and performance in my classroom. When I have students that have difficulty reading due to tracking problems, I create a rubric that consists of emojis instead of words. I also accommodate my special needs students by scaffolding the curriculum and only testing them on chunks of information, or parts of the music at a time. I also read the test to them or allow verbal responses instead of written ones for students with ADD and/or language impairments.
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Heather Tillis
Heather Tillis
Posts: 3


3/29/2018
Heather Tillis
Heather Tillis
Posts: 3
I was evaluating whether students were able to demonstrate what they heard in selected music examples, such as melodic direction, tempo and dynamics. Since so many of my autistic students are non-verbal, I developed a checklist to quickly evaluate whether students were able to demonstrate these skills through alternative means such as moving a scarf up and down for melodic direction instead of singing up and down when a student is non-verbal and unable to sing. I continue to use this throughout the year, so that I can see students' progress.
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Jenifer Carter
Jenifer Carter
Posts: 3


3/29/2018
Jenifer Carter
Jenifer Carter
Posts: 3
My self-contained class has students with SLD. For example, during our orchestra unit I was assessing the students in small groups at a center where they had to match pictures with the correct instrument family. Each student had 1 minute to match. I allowed my self-contained students more time and had them work together in partners. I also went over the answers with them and gave them additional opportunities to correct mistakes.
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Marie Hill
Marie Hill
Posts: 3


3/30/2018
Marie Hill
Marie Hill
Posts: 3
I have a non-verbal student with ASD. He is able to listen and respond to SmartBoard games like Incredibox. I need to assess him on his ability to respond to and perform a steady beat. I have been successful in using movement videos like Go Noodle Kidz Bop where he responds with the group and Orff instruments- individual response with support- playing a simple bordun while the rest of the class sings and keeps a steady beat on their lap.
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Fotini Panagiotouros
Fotini Panagiotouros
Posts: 6


3/31/2018
I teach a few classes with mixed verbal and non-verbal students with ASD. A few activities I use to assess them include visual movement which activates both hemispheres of the brain like Feierabend's Move It (classical pieces). They copy the movements while the music is playing and I prompt by saying what we are doing before it happens to prep them. I usually add a new piece every few weeks to experiment with different movement and assess them on how well they can control their body with the tempo and flexibility in their body moving through the piece and showing the beat. I also use response cards on white boards, or have students come up individually to the white board if they cannot see well when we are studying different rhythms. They are able to point to the rhythm that I say if they are non-verbal or tap it out as I'm saying the rhythm.
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kevin tindall
kevin tindall
Posts: 3


4/5/2018
kevin tindall
kevin tindall
Posts: 3
"Steven" is a first grade student with special education needs (physical impairment). He uses an electric wheelchair and has limited use of his hands and legs. He has attended music class since kindergarten. He has no mental disabilities, attends a first grade inclusion class and functions just as well as his peers. His singing is average, however, he needs modified instruments or a modified technique to play them. He could not walk in K, and is now able to stand and walk for short distances this year. He currently performs movement in his own creative way as long as it follows the rubric for rhythm, flow and creativity. He plays hand drums and other instruments with a modified technique. The physical impairment of his hands will definitely be a challenge as the requirements for music become more technical. He is one who will have to use modifications for these assessments.
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Pamela Nulty
Pamela Nulty
Posts: 4


4/6/2018
Pamela Nulty
Pamela Nulty
Posts: 4
I have had a student with vision impairment in my music classes. When we do written work (question/answer) that is projected on the screen he sits at a desktop to allow him to see and use the material at his own pace. He can also choose to have the directions read and music played through the computer if he needs to go back and review the activity.
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