GUEST FEATURE - Nancy Summitt Teaching Students with Autism
the spectrum will be able to inform music educators as to which learning modality the students typically use, what kind of routine they need, if they have sensitivities, and their current cognitive level.
Tips for Teaching Students with Autism Music
classrooms have long been
Instruction and Students with Autism Students with autism go through an extra layer
of decoding when a
welcoming haven for students with exceptionalities. While students with autism present unique challenges for the music teacher, there has been much research conducted on autism, both in the field of general education and music education. While “one size does not fit all,” these possible solutions may serve as models that can be adapted for students with autism.
Information about Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) All teachers who have the privilege of interacting with students who are on the spectrum should make sure that they are informed as to what autism is and how the symptoms impact the students and educational environment. Autism results from a neurological disorder that disrupts normal brain functions and is a complex developmental disability. Symptoms include communication delays, repeating words/phrases, not reacting to verbal cues, problems with social interactions, unusual sensitivity to sensory stimulation, inability to deal with change, not making direct eye contact, peculiar repetitive play, and self- stimulation.
Currently, 1 out of 150 students in the U.S. has autism and the rates are increasing by 10-17% each year. One of the first things any music teacher should do is confer with the parents,
education professionals of students with autism. Parents and teachers of children on
38 interpreting
instruction, which means that they will seem to not understand something as quickly as the other students. Knowing this may enable teachers to be persistent in instructing their students with autism instead of giving up on their ability to achieve. Preparing students for what will be done in classrooms may help students grasp information more quickly – for autistic students, a one-on-one discussion is best. For example, if you are covering a new piece of music, let your students on the spectrum preview it the day before.
As a method of instructing students with autism, the TEACCH program focuses on organized teaching used to expand the independence of children on the spectrum. TEACCH is comprised of four elements: organizing the space for maximum effectiveness, schedules outlining tasks, work systems that show specific expectations
for the student at teachers, and special
work, and a task organization that clearly states the learning task (Ryan, et al., 2011). For example, if the task is correctly assembling an instrument, the classroom should be consistently set up in such a way that it is easy to get out and assemble the instrument, the student should have a list of instructions for assembly, and there could be possibly pictures showing the correct procedures. Students should be positively rewarded for accomplishing their tasks. Eventually, the student will not need the structure and support.
Students with autism frequently display
an affinity for technology. Personal digital assistants (or other devices such as smart phones or iPads) can be used to load a video of a task being performed, pictures of tasks to be performed, audio prompts, or simply to organize schedules (Mechling, Gast, & Seid, 2009). PDAs have been used by students on the spectrum to learn a variety of tasks, such as purchasing, food
preparation, and dish washing.
Students with autism could use a PDA to familiarize themselves with the schedule of a marching contest, for example, or to remind themselves of the correct sequence for putting a reed on a clarinet.
Inability to communicate is not the same thing as inability to understand
Communication and Students with Autism One characteristic
that impacts autistic
students is their introversion. Te classroom difficulties that children with autism face oſten result in students retreating into their inner lives, or their “comfort zone.” While severe disturbance in communication is one of autism’s symptoms, inability to communicate is not the same thing as inability to understand (Guldberg, 2010). Teachers assume that students will be able to verbally express requests or confusion, but verbal communication is sometimes difficult for students with autism.
A strategy used to facilitate communication with students on the
spectrum is the
Picture Exchange Communication System. Continued on page 39
Wyoming Windsong
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