12/4/2019
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Amber Fessl-Leonard
|
I currently have multiple students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. One in particular stands out to me the most. I actually was her ESE teacher two years in a row before I became the music teacher at my school. This student used to have terrible melt downs when activities were non preferred. I have worked with her on a lot of different ways to express her emotions appropriately. We started small, because at first, she would just burst out how she was feeling and then throw herself on the ground and melt down for at least 20 minutes. We started with using timers and letting her calm down and then talking to a teacher about how she felt. It took a while but her melt downs gradually got shorter and shorter until there was no melt down at all. Then we got to the point where we started having her self advocate for breaks, which worked well. Now she is able to come to an adult and say how she feels. Yes she has some challenges but she has done well.
Over this past summer this same student had surgery on both her legs, therefore she was in a wheelchair for a while at the beginning of the year. It was a little challenging at first, because I had to remind her she couldn't stand up and do some of our dances. She would get frustrated and almost have one of her old melt downs, but I was able to give her an instrument to play during our movement activities. I also see her more than once a week because she does not go to PE because of her now physical disability, so I had her play a different instrument each day. She seemed to enjoy that. I also always tell this student that if she doesn't like a song or something we do is not something she prefers, she at least has to try and then she can choose to not participate after trying. Not to brag though, she is one of my best musicians. I dont ever catch her not participating. She is comfortable in my room. She also participates in a religion that doesn't celebrate Christmas, I told her she doesn't have to sing the Christmas songs, but of course, she is always singing away! |
12/4/2019
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Amber Fessl-Leonard
|
I have a student with a similar situation. Although I don't have to stick to a schedule, I make sure I don't use instruments that are too noisy. Laura Hutson wrote:
I currently teach a student with high functioning autism. He is in 3rd grade. He picks up melodies fairly quickly and can demonstrate an understanding of musical concepts. He struggles with noise. If the classroom gets too loud it bothers his ears severely. He also cannot stand the sound of the recorder. I have to be very careful to stay on a routine with his class especially because he takes comfort in the routine and knowing what is coming up. |
12/4/2019
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Amber Fessl-Leonard
|
When teaching letter note names, I start by using mnemonic devices to teach note names and keyboards. For the younger grades, and even the older grades I use a book called Mr. Everybody's Apartment which uses silly names for notes like Mr. Everybody, Crazy Cat, and Dumb Dog for notes C, D, and E on the music staff and so on. For the upper grades I use pegwords as most music teachers do. FACE....Every Good Boy Does Fine...etc. When teaching other instruments I use charts and also demonstrate.
This helps students with disabilities because it creates silly ways to remember musical notes and it is also fun. What kid doesn't remember something fun?
edited by Amber Fessl-Leonard on 12/4/2019 |