Music Based Reading Lessons for Learning Disabled
Dr. Alice Hammel remembers when Vinnie started school. He had frequent outbursts and struggled throughout nigh of his simple school years; eventually, he was diagnosed equally being on the autistic spectrum. Dr. Hammel, who is a nationally recognized practiced on educational activity music to children of all ages with special needs, said Vinnie was unusual in that he could non match pitch – at all.
And then came the answers. Information technology was discovered he had a specific problem, discussed in our recent invitee correspondent blog on the brain: auditory white noise was interfering with his ability to larn. He underwent intensive therapy, and by fifth grade he went from being the student who could not friction match pitch to performing a solo in the school concert.
Vinnie illustrates both the claiming and the promise students with special needs can represent. Dr. Hammel enjoys working with students similar him since it gives her the chance to be creative and modify lessons to assistance all students thrive. She has sought out schools with a high number of students with special needs in general education classes.
"The really fascinating affair is they can appear, or are, bright except for that i little, tiny piece that is their disability," Dr. Hammel said. "We focus on using their strengths and bypassing their difficulty."
To do this, first there has to be an understanding of the most common types of disabilities and how schools create plans to accommodate students with them.
The Basics: What Is an IEP and a 504 Program?
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is created for students who:
- Have a disability every bit divers by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Idea)
- Are found to demand special didactics and related services
IDEA covers 13 disabilities, including specific learning disabilities, autism, and sure health impairments.
The process for obtaining and monitoring an IEP involves multiple steps, such equally testing by an educational psychologist and meetings with an IEP squad that includes the kid'southward parent or guardian, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a psychologist or other specialist, and a district representative.
An IEP sets learning goals and may include classroom accommodations forth with modifications to the curriculum. Here you tin acquire the departure betwixt accommodations and modifications. Schools receive funding to serve these students.
A 504 plan can be created for a wider telescopic of special needs and for children who may have one of the disabilities listed in IDEA just do not qualify for special education. The plans are based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
This federal law defines a disability as something that substantially limits one or more basic life activities. Students with 504 plans may demand accommodations, such as preferential seating, to be successful. Here is a chart that helps explain the differences and similarities between the plans.
Responsibilities of a Music Teacher
All educators should receive the IEPs and 504 plans for students they are education each year. It'south important to review them and understand whatever accommodations, modifications and goals listed in the documents.
If there are any questions, a teacher can contact the IEP squad or special education section for assistance. In cases where an adaptation works in a general education class just not music class, Dr. Hammel suggests writing to the team. For example, if a student requires preferential seating near didactics, just earns a chair position that would require the pupil be towards the middle of a band or orchestra rather than in the front or on the terminate, a letter may exist society.
"I would send a note to the IEP team and say a student earned the chair, and enquire if it's okay to deviate from the plan," Dr. Hammel said.
You also can talk to the team, the special education department or your supervisor if you need to buy something for an accommodation, such as a special mallet, adaptive devices, or large-print music. In most schools there is a special educational activity budget that is separate from the music budget, and you may be able to use those funds for these purchases.
The Most Mutual Disabilities You May See
The well-nigh common disabilities seen in most schools are more often than not not the ones some people expect. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 34% of the students served by Thought in the 2015–2016 school year had a specific learning disability (SLD). xx% had a spoken language or language impairment, 14% had other health impairments, and nine% had autism spectrum disorder. Other types of disabilities, such as a hearing or orthopedic harm, are less mutual.
Specific learning disabilities are defined by IDEA as disorders involving "one or more of the bones psychological processes," which may cause challenges in areas such as reading, writing and math. Common disabilities in this category include dyslexia that affects reading, dysgraphia that affects writing, and dyscalculia, which is a math disability.
Children with SLDs often have average or above boilerplate intelligence, and their disabilities are frequently considered "hidden" since their challenges stem from the style their brains process information. Students with SLDs acquire differently, and generally benefit from academic flexibility in the classroom.
Oral communication and language impairments involve communication challenges, such equally stuttering, or verbal comprehension issues. These children often benefit from early intervention from speech-language pathologists.
Other health impairments include acute or chronic health problems that may affect energy levels or attention, such as heart disorders, diabetes, or epilepsy. It may also include students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that can cause communication, social, and behavioral challenges. Students with ASD often do good from structure, consistency, and breaks.
Ways to Help Students In Music Class
Dr. Hammel says music class is a perfect identify for students with special needs to thrive because it provides many opportunities for active participation, including the chance to demonstrate ability or progress in ways other than writing, such every bit singing, dancing, moving, making sounds, or drawing.
"It removes all the barriers and allows students to participate then they can be seen for their strengths rather than their differences," Dr. Hammel said.
To assist this process, in that location are generally four things Dr. Hammel considers when looking at ways to adapt her music classroom for a diversity of needs. They are:
- Modality – Giving lessons geared to multiple senses. This includes aural, visual, and kinesthetic didactics. In the same class, you could have a educatee with an auditory processing disorder who struggles with spoken words and needs visuals, a second student with a visual processing disorder who has the reverse challenge, and a 3rd student who learns all-time past actively participating.
To address this, in a rhythm lesson, for example, a teacher tin can verbally discuss and evidence visuals virtually rhythm patterns in addition to having the students write downwards rhythms and clap them.
- Pacing – Altering the speed at which music is presented or needs to exist learned. For case, allow a educatee to offset by merely playing a few consistent notes in a song. And so, a immature student may just play a D or F every time it appears in Mary Had a Petty Lamb. Then afterwards other notes can be added. Generally, a student does not need to perform all the notes or measures in a limerick to participate in class.
You tin can also modify pacing by slowing down the tempo or giving students a longer catamenia of fourth dimension to acquire a composition.
- Size – Increasing the size of resource to assist students with visual processing difficulties. Pepper offers a variety of large-print sheet music that can help with this effort.
- Color – Utilizing color coding by using erasable highlighters, colored tape or other tools
Dr. Hammel also says there are numerous apps to help with various disabilities. These apps can be specially helpful for music teachers who have students with profound disabilities. Just a few examples are presented in this article from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
In the end, though, Dr. Hammel says the most important thing is the classroom atmosphere. She encourages the building of relationships in each class.
"When students get to know all the other kids in the group, they understand there is more that unites than divides them," Dr. Hammel said.
For more data, Dr. Hammel has created several excellent resource specifically designed for music teachers. View Dr. Hammel'southward books and manuals here.
Other resources:
Children with Exceptionalities: A Special Research Involvement Grouping of the National Association for Music Education
Special Instruction Law: Wrightslaw.com
Book past Judith Jellison: Including Everyone: Creating a Music Classroom Where All Children Can Learn
Source: https://blogs.jwpepper.com/how-to-help-students-with-special-needs-in-music-class/
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