5/20/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Jency Meche
|
I have a first grade student with autism and ADD/ADHD. He is a bundle of energy and is happiest when he has your full attention - no matter how he can get it. He is also a very good singer, can maintain a steady beat like nobody's business and remembers everything that he learns about the instruments of the orchestra.
He gets very frustrated if he doesn't get to answer a question first, or isn't chosen first to demonstrate learning or move to a station or instrument that he wanted. I have found that giving him choices works best - examples: "You may move to either the handbells or xylophones first." "You can decide if you share with the red group or green group."
I also keep him in close proximity to me as much as possible - so that with a smile, eye contact and maybe a pat on the shoulder he is getting the encouragement he needs - ignoring behavior as much as possible - such as calling out to me, patting and pulling my arm, or acting out in frustration - sometimes with a little reminder to him that I'm waiting for him to join me when he can pull it together.
There is a system in place for him when he goes to "specials" that is a board that he carries around with our pictures on them. When he is able to participate and let others learn as well, he earns a star for that class and gets little rewards at regular intervals. That school wide support has been wonderful.
He loves coming to music and since he was with me in Kindergarten last year as well, is really making great progress in recognizing that, at least in music class, he is performing with an "ensemble" - not always, but we are getting there.  |
5/20/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Jency Meche
|
Oh I love the idea of having them be the "conductor" standing at a distance. There are days when it is simply to overwhelming for some of my autistic students to play the Orff instruments with the group. I usually have them in a separate space either on a different instrument or with a scarf - but will definitely put this in my "tool bag" as well.
ursula von bargen-seitz fortner wrote:
In the elementary Orff music environment, my young autistic student would be the 'conductor', standing at a distance, while we practiced with the Orff instruments as a whole group, rather than play an instrument in the whole group setting. She would create her own melodies and play them on the xylophone while the other students worked quietly with materials. Similarly, this student enjoyed dancing, one scarf in each hand, in front of the group, at a distance. Having this personal space away from the group and doing something singular and repetitive on her own reduced the need to hide or rock in the face of sensory overload and/or inundation of personal space by people. |
5/20/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Jency Meche
|
Thank you for sharing! I'm so happy that you could help her work through her disability to find the joy in playing music - so much so that she made a career of it.
Sarah Hamilton wrote:
I had a flute student in a high school band with Asperger's. She took everything literally, had a difficult time with changes in routine, and had a difficult time relating to her peers. I had to be extremely careful in setting an environment where everything was consistent. If anything changed abruptly from her expectations, she would have outbursts and possible meltdowns. She wanted to perform well and I also had to be sensitive in correcting her. Despite her disability, she worked very hard and performed very well. As long as I was sensitive to her needs, helped prepare her for changes, assisted her with appropriate classroom behaviors, she did very well. Her dedication and hard work allowed her to gain respect from her peers, although she did require quite a bit of coaching in interpersonal skills. She ended up majoring in music therapy in college. |
5/20/2020
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Jency Meche
|
I already regularly use some of the strategies that were discussed here: Mnemonic instruction with note names, lines and spaces, ukulele and guitar string names and numbers; Chaining when learning new songs - I sing or play and they continue to fill in more and more sections starting with the ending words or notes; and peer partners.
Two other strategies that I use as well, but would like to develop better are learning centers and task analysis.
1. I love using "stations" with my students, but what I don't necessarily do is have options at the stations for students - instead the task is predetermined. I would like to think through how to make each station have options for students that would have them adjusting and determining their learning needs by choosing options for the same goal in a way that will engage and motivate them.
Here is how I run my groups now: Students rotate to these stations and so eventually will make it to all of the stations and are rotating in small groups. My goal with each station is to have them practice the material in a fun way. For example, Station A: Clap (body percussion) and say the rhythm patterns. Station B: Play the rhythm patterns on your recorder using the note B, now try other notes you know. Station C: Sing the solfege rhythm patterns. Station D: Rearrange the rhythm patterns to create a 4 measure obstinato. ,etc. Station E: teacher small group station - assessing the needs of each of the groups.
2. Task Analysis is another strategy that I can continue to develop. I have a flow to every class that students in grades K-4 can expect - engagement hook, vocal warm-up, sight-singing, lesson, wrap-up. In the sight-singing portion - which is very quick - usually 5 minutes or less - we have a method "task analysis" for analyzing and singing it. Things to look for: Melody moving up or down?, rhythm patterns, finding patterns (ex. measures 1 and 3 are the same), labeling discoveries of steps or skips with solfege, map the melody pattern with solfege signs, the discovered melody is usually based on the song that will be part of the lesson being introduced or one that was learned already. The routine and repetition of the task has really helped students to feel more confident in analyzing melodies. I would like to continue to develop routines and task analysis steps for other aspects of the class as well - in particular, when playing melodies on the xylophones or ukuleles. |
5/21/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Jency Meche
|
I have had a student since Kindergarten, he is now in 3rd grade, that is on the autism spectrum and is a selective mute. He only speaks at home to his parents and a few extended family members. Although this year, his classroom teacher has been able to get him to whisper things to her, but only when no one else is around. He is super bright and does perfectly fine in the music classroom in every aspect except singing, of course. I've not been able to assess his singing voice, but have been able to assess if he can identify what he is seeing in the music and how it is supposed to sound by giving him options for what he is hearing when I sing or play a melody - which one am I singing/playing? He also labels solfege perfectly and will play his recorder. As a second grader, he would not play his kazoo though - which would have required him to use his voice. With this student I have found that the assessments that work best for him are the response cards, manipulatives, pictures, and sometimes an alternate setting with quiet and one on one time with me. Plus, lots of smiles and encouragement. |