|
Sarah Morrell Posts: 3
6/28/2019
|
I had an student with autism in class piano with 20 other students. This student often seemed frustrated evidenced by tears and sometimes crossed arms. She could be frustrated because she couldn't master a piece or technique, or because she was not understanding the instructions. One thing I did that was helpful was to approach her individually as others students were working independently. I could often ascertain what was upsetting to her, and help her towards a solution. Sometimes demonstrating or re-teaching the concept worked. Occasionally I needed to modify the content a little.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Rolanda Jones Posts: 4
6/28/2019
|
As a choral director, singing is a preferred activity for many students with disabilities. For the purpose of this assignment, I will reflect on a student who was visually impaired. The student was very talented with a beautiful voice and a fairly good ear but lacked the confidence to sing in front of others due to not being able to see the notes. To accommodate the student, I had all of the music enlarged. In addition, the student was provided with a handheld device (magnifier) as an option to enhance the music with a clear view. To facilitate learning, additional time and oral instruction were provided. In addition, the student was seated in the middle towards the front with good lighting. As a result, the student became more active in chorus.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Melissa Life Posts: 3
6/30/2019
|
A few years ago, I had a wonderful student that was visually impaired that entered into my classroom. She was a last-minute join to choir about three weeks into the school year. I had no prior knowledge about having a student that had a severe vision impairment. She came into my classroom while I was teaching my other students how to sight-read with examples on my whiteboard. I felt awful as I watched her sit in class not fully understanding what was going on while the other students kept working on the assignment. Wanting to ensure that she was learning how to read and to be actively involved in class, I sought out her special education teacher who also happened to have a visual impairment and she provided me with tools to help my student learn how to read musical braille. So, throughout the year we both learned how to read music.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Charlotte Walters 2 Posts: 4
7/2/2019
|
I had a student who was hard-of hearing and she loved music. I placed a strong singer close to her which helped a lot. I would also spend extra time with her to help match pitch on sections of music that she was having trouble with.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Mary Jeter Posts: 4
7/19/2019
|
I am a middle school chorus teacher. My student was hearing impaired since birth and wore hearing aids. Consequently because of his hearing impairment he had trouble match pitch. The first thing I did for him was to move him as close to the piano and speakers as possible. To help with his pitch matching issues which were too extensive to go into detail here, I worked with him one on one. This was done in short 5-10 minute mini lessons. Drilling hi and lo pitches to start. Then just 1 to 2 notes within his limited vocal range. The rest of the time I the classroom he sang with the rest of the class.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Ben Pyatt Posts: 3
7/25/2019
|
Several years ago, as a high school band director, I wanted to serve our special needs students with participation in a music class. Our school was the "hub" for students with the most extreme disabilities in the school district. We created a music class for these students so they could have the opportunity to play musical instruments, learn about music, and eventually perform with the marching band at football games and competitions.
There were about 12 students with a wide range of challenges and methods of expression. Working with the special needs director and several aides, I started to get to know each of the students, their challenges and personalities. We selected hand-held or table mounted percussion instruments for each student that fit their grip and physical range of motion. Other students used traditional hand drums and one used an iPad to trigger different musical instruments (and tell jokes – she LOVED telling jokes and would cackle when she’d push the button for the punchline).
As with any music class, starting and stopping together is of paramount importance. I created a laminated piece of paper that had images on both sides (red light/green light) to help give us some parameters for when to play. We used this to cue students as we learned our parts to the marching band show. Some were able to attend after school marching band rehearsals periodically. All the students enjoyed getting to know each other and helped each other out. We got them fitted for uniforms, they participated in game/contest day meals, and performed with the band! This was one of the most rewarding teaching experiences I’ve ever had!
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Cynthia Starling Posts: 3
7/26/2019
|
One student I had in beginning band was deaf/hard of hearing. She wasn't completely deaf but used coclear implants and an interpreter for class. She played clarinet and would sit near the front in view of both interpreter and myself simultaneously. I like to roam the classroom and had to adjust to making sure I was always facing towards her when I spoke. I used many visual cues on the board, on the sheet music, and through demonstration. We also placed a visual tuner on her stand so she could check intonation. Her stand partner often helped by pointing where we were in the music or to get her attention when needed. The first semester was a high learning curve but year two and three became easier. She even continued in band in high school including marching band.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Jacob Grimes Posts: 3
7/31/2019
|
I have a student that has Tourette syndrome. He would have "yelping" ticks that were not controllable and could happen at anytime. If they happened during class and they were consistent, I would allow him excuse himself out of the classroom until the ticks went away. He also had a hard time focusing when he hears people writing on paper. So if the class was doing written music theory, I would have him do a similar lesson that was on the computer with headphones on.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Susan Cavanagh Posts: 3
8/2/2019
|
I had a student last year with a speech challenge. He and I decided together to use the reverse camera on my iPad.
He used one of the practice rooms to self evaluate his pronunciation of a choral text.
We followed up with some extra rehearsal time before school the next day. He found it very beneficial.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Susan Cavanagh Posts: 3
8/2/2019
|
I have a rising 8th grader with a degenerative eye disease. She could see enough to read the music with her binocular last year.
I helped her by using a recording device to tape her part for her to learn. We have already planned additional rehearsal time In the morning before school this year, to help her learn the literature. I will, again, be taping her music as additional support .
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Susan Cavanagh Posts: 3
8/3/2019
|
Two years go I had a boy in my 7th grade choir on the autism spectrum. He would not/ could not demonstrate his knowledge of the choir literature in front of anyone else in the class.
I repositioned the seating/ standing positions of the students to a double semi circle in the room. I did a rotation every three reheasal periods. I made sure this boy was directly next to me at the piano as I could evaluate his progress within his comfort level. His confidence level had improved last year to the point of being able to demonstrate his expertise in class.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Bridgette Howell Posts: 2
9/6/2019
|
I had a student years ago with ADHD and Specific Learning Disability. He was unable, in his classes to excel in academics, but was extremely successful in the Arts. He learned to play snare drum by sight and later learned his rudiments at a quick pace. Playing snare allowed him to focus on his concentration issues, thus, in turn, helped improve tremendously in his classes and his behavior.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Thomas McNair Posts: 3
10/1/2019
|
I received a student with a severe Brachial Plexis injury caused during childbirth. She had major nerve damage to her right arm that caused diminished movement and muscular atrophy in her right hand. She was/is a very intelligent and delightful young girl and very determined to learn a musical instrument. I tried clarinet but because of the muscular atrophy, she could not move her fingers sufficiently to cover the tone holes on the lower portion of the instrument. This injury also prevented her from playing any other woodwind. I thought of brass instruments but they all rely on the right hand/arm to use the valves or slide in the case of trombone, except the French horn. The French horn uses the left hand to manipulate the valves. She was very excited to proceed in learning the French horn. Her right arm and hand were sufficient to brace the horn against her lap and place the hand in the bell to warm the sound. She has continued her French horn studies to this day.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Marc Smith Posts: 4
10/5/2019
|
I taught a blind student to play trumpet in band for 3 years. Fortunately, I had a wonderful ESE teacher helping in this journey. I learned about the Braille system for music. Also, the beginning method book we used was already transcribed in Braille. The student would use one hand to read the Braille. We ordered a strap that went around his neck that held the trumpet up for him. It was designed for students with only one arm. The student would usually memorize/play by ear the music once it was learned. The ESE teacher would take any of the concert music and get it transcribed in Braille for him. He was pretty successful in Band in elementary/middle school. He continued his band journey in High School. He even marched in the Marching Band.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Jessica Klee Posts: 8
10/6/2019
|
As I introduced Music Bingo, one of my students has partial use of their hands, so I told the class to buddy / partner up. Each partner or small group would share an instrument picture and would have to figure which instrument they heard from the recording and place a token on the picture. Since one of my students with disability did not have full use of their hands, they could tell their partner which picture they thought it might be or point to it.
edited by Jessica Klee on 10/6/2019
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Kathrine Rudzik Posts: 2
10/27/2019
|
A few years back I had a student who only had one hand. We worked with him to be able to hold his trumpet with the portion of his arm that he did have while learning the fingerings on his left hand.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Kimberly Annis Posts: 3
11/1/2019
|
I had a student with severe Cerebral Palsy. He was in the band class and played percussion. He did have an aid that would help him with his grip on the mallets and sticks. His mother told me at the end of the year that they saw a huge improvement in his grip and that was because of being in the band. This same student also was featured at a concert as a soloist (another student sat next to him to control the pots and pans) when the band played Concerto for Pots and Pans. He loved this major accomplishment.
--
Kimberly Annis
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Thomas Silliman Posts: 3
11/23/2019
|
I have a student with Emotional/Bevahioral Disability. He is disruptive in many of his classes and students tend to tease him. This sometimes affects his readiness to learn when he comes ot orchestra in the afternoon. He is becoming successful in my class through frequent one on one encouragement sessions, starting when I greet him at the door. We have at least 5-10 minutes in each class where the students practice on their own and I float in the classroom, this allows me more opportunities for one on one encouragement. We just had our first concert and he was one of the most excited and proud students upon his completion. I have another student in the class who is developmentally delayed. I allow her to write the pitch names in, but we have an agreement to erase some of them each day. In this way, she has a longer time to acclimate herself to reading music.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Michael McElwain Posts: 1
11/25/2019
|
I had a band student with total hearing loss in one ear and perfect hearing in his other ear. He was advised by someone before joining band to play percussion because it may be easier for him to not have to constantly listen to and adjust pitch the way that students on woodwind and brass instruments do for performing with good intonation. I had to understand that in the back of the room sometimes he couldn't clearly hear the instructions so I would try to locate myself somewhere that would be easier for him to hear me. With this student (and with others) we would at times relocate the snare drum to the center of the ensemble to help our percussionists better hear for balance and precision. This seemed to help a great deal.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Michelle DuChemin Posts: 3
12/1/2019
|
I currently have a student who is visually impaired. She is a beautiful singer with a fabulous ear. To help in the choral classroom we braille her lyrics. She easily picks up melodies and harmonies but the words can be an issue sometimes. I also make part tracks that she has access to. Using these accommodations she is able to keep up with our busy performing schedule - and even does it better than her general education counterparts!
|
|
|
0
link
|