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Crystal Pekoe Posts: 6
5/8/2018
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A few years ago, I had a young student in my elementary music class, with Autism. This student LOVED music, so that was really good for me. However, this student had a hard time with transitions. He did not want to leave when class was over. Also, if we were moving on to a different activity in the lesson, he had a hard time transitioning out of it. This students teacher helped me to create a “story book” for him. It was all about his day and included lots of visuals. In music, we would use his book often when transitioning. Shortly before we would be transitioning to the next activity or leaving music, I would point to the image in his book. For example, singing, playing, moving, listening, class is over, etc. This greatly helped this student with the transitions and helped him to understand what was coming next.
In addition, I had another student with Autism who did not like music. He often would want to tell me something or wanted to do something. Basically he only wanted me to give him attention. With this student we tried the strategy of telling him: “when you do this, you can have/do this”. This really helped him to stay on task in music and accomplish the learning goals in music. It also helped him to understand what was expected of him.
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David Norris Posts: 3
5/11/2018
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I had a student last year with a severe orthopedic impairment that required her to attend school in a "fully loaded" electric wheelchair. She loved to sing and she chose to join my elementary choir that met before school from 7:00-7:45 Friday mornings. The choir sang and performed choreography to some of the songs during the school year. What I did was create separate choreography for her that went along with the rest of the group's choreograpy, but accented her special abilities. She loved it, the chorus loved it and so did the parents.
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Holly Cady Posts: 3
5/13/2018
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I had an ASD student who was non-verbal yet very vocal. The classroom teachers did not know how to assess this student until I noticed certain vocalizations in the music classroom which corresponded to the rhythms and/or melodies being taught. I noticed the student responded to questions presented to all students with different vocalizations and different hands. I tried something I saw on a documentary for reaching ASD individuals; I would ask the student a question and give two possible choices. When giving the choices, I would shake a small piece of paper on either the left or right side of the child (or a different instrument for each choice) for the child to reach. The assistants were amazed that the student was over 95% correct in reaching for the appropriate sound/side for each answer. The student became more relaxed and began limited participation with small instruments and as a result of the 'testing', the assistants and teachers were then better able to 'speak' WITH the student.
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Nancy Rogers Posts: 3
5/16/2018
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I currently have a student that is hearing impaired. He absolutely loves music, but he often had difficulty hearing the directions given during music class. Placing him in the front row closest to me and assigning a strong singer to sit next to him, has truly helped him enjoy music class even more.
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Shirley Andrews Posts: 5
5/16/2018
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This school year I have 2 elementary general music students who are hearing impaired(HI). My entering and roll taking procedure involves a song and/or rhythm. I discovered quickly that placing them closer to me they were both successful in vocally or rhythmically responding. Soon it became second nature to check myself that I was presenting to my HI students, as well as all my students, in a visually appropriate space. In addition, lesson routine and organization made movements through the classroom predictable for these students.
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Daniel Rigano Posts: 1
5/17/2018
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At my first teaching position, I had to teach a student who was wheelchair bound, but also vision and hearing impaired. She was an absolute angel of a student and would try her hardest, though I know she struggled quite a bit with the understanding of concepts. She had an ESE assistant who would help her with the basic tasks, but she often forgot materials as they were given out. She tried out for chorus, and while she didn't have the best voice, I gave her the opportunity and wow was I amazed! By the end of it all, she got over her social anxiety and performed not only in 2 concerts but in the talent show too! She went past her fears and came to me at the end of the year and gave me a huge hug, with both her and her mom thanking me for helping her, which, honestly, was what I was here to do! I did nothing more than care for her like I did my other students. Sometimes those that everyone says are lost to anything can truly be our brightest stars!
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Stephanie McNaughton Posts: 3
5/19/2018
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I currently have a student with cerebral palsy. He loves music and looks forward to class each week. I try my best to adapt all of our activities as best I can. When we do movement he stands (with his braces) by me and modifies his actions if necessary. When we limbo he wheels his own wheelchair and we adapt the limbo pole for him. What is toughest for him is playing instruments. I allow him to alter his matched grip to play xylophones. Recorder has been trickier. He cannot play with both hands. His left hand will play G-D, but his right hand does not allow him to play lower. He worked on pieces that used higher notes this year. Next year I am going to try to purchase a modified recorder (which I have seen before) to allow him to access all the notes.
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Alexandra Mirocha Posts: 2
5/21/2018
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I currently have a first grade students who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, EBD, and is in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD. He is high functioning when he chooses to be. His behavior at the beginning of the year was erratic and I wasn’t always sure what I was going to get. Sometimes his behavior would only let him stay half of class. He would act out with screaming, self harm or violence and I would have to call the behavior team as per our school plan to keep other students safe. But as I began to learn his triggers or “tells” he would stay longer. I found that make a special place for him, he would go there to cool down if I calmly directed him there. Stamps are a big incentive in my class, if students follow my rules they get a stamp. We got him a special stamp as his behavior began to improve he would earn it. We are still working on his reaction when he does NOT earn it, but it has given him something to work towards. His behavior also began to improve when we began to work with the barred instruments. There are very specific ways we play, and I use specific grouping strategies to make sure he is successful, or at least has a chance. There are other students in his class who have some needs, I differentiate my plans to make sure that they can be successful as well. This year has been a challenge, but it has taught me a lot!
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Deirdre Hunt Posts: 3
5/21/2018
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I currently have a student with Oculocutaneous Albinism and she needs several accommodations school-wide. In the music class, we have added total blackout shades to cover the eleven windows, changed out the fluorescent lighting, created large print labeling throughout the room, provided large-print vocabulary flash cards, large-print worksheets and printed all of her computer-based district and school assessments in a large-print packet. She loves music and playing the Orff instruments which are all labeled with large note stickers and a large copy of the songs we are performing together.
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Ethan Sapp Posts: 7
5/25/2018
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I taught an ESE student with hearing sensitivity. We used picture book to help her resopnd to likes and dis- likes for material we were covering, or allow her to give feedback. We also used noise canceling earphones to help when music or noise seemed to be effecting her. We would pay attention to the level and selection of music and gauge her reactions. We would adjust the lesson accordingly.
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Samuel Shingles Posts: 4
5/25/2018
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For the past four years, I have had a student in my class that is visually impaired. The first year, it seemed like all of the supplemental material I used for my chorus classes were difficult for her to read. Several times the first year, I meet with counselors to determine how I cold accommodate this student because I wanted choir for her to be an activity that she not only enjoyed but I wanted to create and environment for her that would not be stressful, but I needed to create an environment where she that challenged her vocal abilities without constantly pointing out her disability. In collaboration with the counselors and her mother, we found different ways for us to provide her with content and additional resources so she could be successful in my class. Computer Assisted Instruction was a very powerful tool for this student. It turns out her mom had purchased a special computer that displayed items in away that made her learning her key signatures and her scales very easy for her. With regards to her singing in the choir, that was a struggle because of impaired vision. So the strategy was to record music for her to practice at home and to have peers in her section to work with her and other students who were struggling with reading music. This student is graduating in a few days, but my four year journey with her allowed me to become a more informed and sensitive to the needs of students in my classes who have disabilities. Her needs and required accommodations challenged me to find a way to allow her to be successful in my class.
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Andrew Toth Posts: 4
6/7/2018
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I have a VE class that get mainstreamed for specials. In that class there is a student who would be classified as OI. She is unable to stand on her own without assistance of another person, or crutches. Her disability affects her learning because. She is unable to move, and we move quite a bit in music class. To accommodate her, I look to the paras who assist her first, because they are more familiar with what she can and cannot do than I am. I’ve made adaptions, as well. We the rest of the class rotates around the instruments, I let her stay in her station, and will rotate instruments to her, so she gets the opportunity to produce multiple timbres. One of her favorite accommodations is when I guide her on a rolling chair while we do parachute activities.
edited by Andrew Toth on 6/7/2018
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ANISSA RUIZ Posts: 7
6/10/2018
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Think of a music 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 music learning. Describe at least one or more ways you successfully accommodated or modified instruction for this student. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
I had a student who was missing an arm! He was in beginning band (middle school) and learning how to play the clarinet. He did have a prosthesis. So, instead of holding the clarinet with his right hand on the bottom, he used the prosthesis to hold the clarinet up and put his working arm/ hand on the top. He only had 6 weeks so he learned how to play all the notes he could on the top half of the clarinet. When it came time to switch, he was on the trumpet. His prosthetic held the trumpet and his good hand played what he could. He felt very excited that he was able to accomplish something within band.
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Kathy Shepler Posts: 3
6/17/2018
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I have taught Hearing Impaired students in my elementary music class. They did come with a paraprofessional who used sign language to assist the students to understand what we were doing. They had difficulty in hearing the music, learning songs, and being able to hear what they were playing. We adapted as much as possible, allowing time for more visuals and signing. They were able to hear the vibrations with the music amplified. Also sitting next to others who were able to assist in following the music and to play an instrument.
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Kathy Shepler
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Debbie Freeman Posts: 1
6/19/2018
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I teach elem music and have by VE classes integrated into my regular ed classes. This year I had the VE class at the same time I had the Gifted 5th grade class. This was quite a diverse grouping of students! I created a buddy system so that each VE student had a buddy that helped them in all aspects of the lesson. I used the smart board and created visuals for all lessons that engaged the VE students as well as the gifted. Many times the task required the gifted students to teach the activity to their buddy - this challenge the GP student as well.
The relationships between these students was amazing - I believe they learned more than just musical theory!
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Ray D Posts: 1
6/21/2018
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I had a student, Micheal, with autism in my 5th grade general music class. Even though the class "process" was to come into class and to your spot silently, he would always come in spouting on about wild ideas and all sort of things he wanted to share. So we came up with a solution: If Michael followed the procedures throughout class, the last 5 minutes of each class he would be allowed to take over and teach the class or share whatever ideas he had.
Let me tell you...you think his peers wouldn't like such a thing or find it silly? No way! They absolutely LOVED listening to him and his ideas. One day he told us all about a theme park he had invented. But it didn't stop there. He drew up a detailed map of the park on the board (including things like food and restrooms) and gave detailed descriptions of all the rides and attractions. His brain was operating on a completely other level, that I am so glad I just didn't dismiss him and gave him the opportunity to show me, and the class, what a true genius he actually was.
I don't know if I taught Michael much about music, but he sure as heck taught me.
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Ron Lagg Posts: 3
6/21/2018
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I have a student that I teach in Beginning Guitar, as well as being a member of our string orchestra with the Itinerant Teacher. The main thing that we both stressed was that we needed to be consistent with him, never to throw anything at him without preparation and to always just "do his best". He is a very good student and is an excellent athlete. We got the ESE team going and with all our input, he's coming along quite nicely, including his new understanding of "personal space" when talking to anyone. We also got him to start asking questions if he wasn't quite sure of fingerings on his guitar or violin, counting or anything else musically which we felt was a major victory in both ensembles.
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Barbara Sullivan Posts: 3
6/23/2018
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I have taught a student over the past 6 years. This student was diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease at a young age. He has progressively regressed and as a fifth grader this past year was in a wheel chair with an aide. I have accommodated his disability in music in many ways.
Three years ago we began to see his balance become a concern. I assigned him a buddy of his choice. If he needed help learning dance steps, he also allowed to ask the buddy for help. I also made sure he could stand next to a table and use it to steady himself.
This past year his recorder playing was a challenge. I gave him repetitive songs (B and A) that only used his left hand. When we were playing a xylophone piece, I gave him a bass bar part and one mallet. Since he was in a wheel chair, I placed the bass bar on a chair so he could easily reach it. He was able to participate successfully.
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Lillie Gelfand Posts: 3
6/26/2018
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I had several students in my 5th grade music class with autism. They are high functioning, however I adapted the way they accomplished the reading and performing goal in class. If they needed to write in letter names of the notes in order to play they were able to do that. If they needed extra time or time out to re-focus then they were able to do that. I found that the students did very well and were able to play and perform with the other students in the class.
In addition, I have a student in 4th grade with a range of disabilities. He has difficulty some days with too much noise, or too many distractions from the other students. I usually let him find the best solution for what he needs. He is very musical and can usually learn the music by listening to the other students play and watching the fingerings as they play. Then he will begin to play. He also has difficulty with anxiety performing in front of people. This year he specifically asked to play one of the xylophone parts on a song that his class was performing for their spring concert. I let his parents know that he made this request and encouraged them to go ahead and let me give him the opportunity. I had two xylophones, so he was on one and another student was on the other. Our first performance was for the school students and he did an awesome job. The evening performance was for parents. His parents spoke to me before the concert started and I told them what an awesome job he did that afternoon. I also assured them that if was not able to play this evening, it would be okay. I told them how much he really wanted to do it and I was confident that he would be able to. He did play the part and his parents, as well as myself were so proud of him. I try to adapt to each student and what they seem to be able to do. This has worked well and whatever they accomplish is wonderful.
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Tracy Torrance Posts: 5
6/29/2018
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A few years ago, one my 4thgrade students was hit by a car while crossing a busy street. Prior to the accident, he had been in the gifted program, very friendly and active. He was hospitalized for six months as he recovered from traumatic brain injury, multiple broken bones and internal injuries. After leaving the hospital, he spent hours every day in painful physical therapy re-learning how to walk, feed himself, etc. When he finally returned to school, I was so excited to have him back in class as I had been his music teacher since Kindergarten and remembered how enthusiastic he was about music. I was aware of all the injuries and carefully prepared lesson plans for his physical and cognitive impairments. However, when he came to class for the first time, he wasn’t the same child I visited in the hospital just prior to his release.
Since the accident, he struggled with language, walked with a noticeable limp, and had lost the use of his right arm below the elbow. He had difficulty playing instruments as he had coordination issues and as his right hand was now paralyzed. He was also having difficulty matching pitch, which had not been an issue before. With these new challenges, his participation dropped. In order to compensate, he began to act like the class clown. This, to him, meant acceptance by his peers. I talked with his other teachers and we worked together as a team to help him re-channel his anger
By the end of the school year, his behavior and attitude had improved. He still had moments of frustration, but he began to participate in music more. Working with his OT was a great help. He showed me accommodations and modifications for this student to be successful. I worked with him and a few other boys before or after school on drumming and xylophone for coordination. He also joined the choir second semester to work on pitch matching and language issues. The best part was that many of the accommodations weren’t noticed by the other students, which made him feel like he wasn’t being singled out.
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