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Understanding Communication and Cognition and Students with special needs

Understanding Communication and Cognition and Students with special needs. Alice Hammel, Virginia Commonwealth and James Madison Universities. The Basics of a Label-free Approach. Use labels to gain general information Concentrate on Music Teaching and Learning.

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Understanding Communication and Cognition and Students with special needs

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  1. Understanding Communication and Cognition and Students with special needs Alice Hammel, Virginia Commonwealth and James Madison Universities

  2. The Basics of a Label-free Approach • Use labels to gain general information • Concentrate on Music Teaching and Learning

  3. Teaching Music to students with autism • Follows same approach • Domains

  4. Communication The Communication Domain

  5. Communication “The ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts of verbal, nonverbal, and graphic symbol systems” (Heflin & Alamo)

  6. Communication Process Receive Information Understand and Process Information Commit to Long Term Memory Express Understanding

  7. Receptive Language Receptive language refers to the ability of a student to receive and process/decode information. Receptive Language

  8. Expressive Language Expressive languageis defined as the ability to use symbols of language to express thoughts (Lewis & Doorlag, 2006) Expressive Language

  9. Specific challenges Within the Communication Domain

  10. Eye contact • Gather information • Indicate interests and emotions • The intent of others can be very confusing

  11. Why? • Attention has been drawn elsewhere • Anxiety related to the expectations of the classroom at the moment • Sensory input needs (hypo or hyper) • Delay in cognitive processing necessary to comprehend or retain information

  12. Joint attention • Attending to the interest of others • This can be extremely difficult. • Some students are not interested in engaging with others, their objects, or situations. • An inability to process via eye gaze, theory of mind, or other means can exacerbate joint attention miscues.

  13. Accommodation/Modification EXAMPLEs • Provide simple and clear instructions. Individual instructions for a specific student can be very helpful. • Partner written instructions with other modalities (aural, kinesthetic) • Establish a communication journal between you, the special education team, and the parents/guardians (if possible).

  14. Accommodation/Modification EXAMPLEs • Utilize digital video and audio recordings for students to take home and practice • Communicate instructions in a multi-modal way

  15. Alternative Communication

  16. The Skoog

  17. Other Alternatives • Big Mack (able net) • Sign Language • Clickers

  18. Makeymakey

  19. Social Stories • As individual books • Using pictures of the student

  20. Let’s Make Music • I Love My Little Rooster • Ultimate Guitar (hold hand) • Find your Family (rhythm/solfege) • Hungry Caterpillar

  21. Hungry caterpillar

  22. Cognition The Cognitive Domain

  23. Cognitive Domain • The ability of a student to receive, process, and commit information to memory • (Davis, Gfeller, and Thaut, 1999)

  24. Cognitive Domain

  25. Central Coherence • Central Coherence Theory • Focus on the local rather than the global aspects of an object of interest

  26. Theory of mind • Trouble predicting actions, intent by assuming beliefs or state of mind • Tone of voice • Often cannot understand looks, glances, figures of speech, tone of voice, etc.

  27. Executive Function • Motor Planning • Multi-step directions • Megacognition

  28. Strategies for Music Teachers (all levels) • Observe student in other settings and specifically attend to cognitive issues • Self-assess delivery of material during class/rehearsal • Are there ways to make the cognitive process easier for the student • Discuss and strategize with the special education team and parents

  29. Accommodation Modification EXAMPLEs • Modify projects, assignments, and exams to include less material but the same expectations (if possible) • Provide peer support for re-directing or simplifying directions • Allow for pull out time with a peer or team teacher to reinforce understanding

  30. Accommodation Modification EXAMPLEs (secondary performance) • Have a student perform only what he can contribute to a meaningful performance. • Provide material well in advance. • Rehearse a segment and allow a student to practice this exact segment individually before continuing in the piece.

  31. Elementary Activities to strengthen the cognitive domain • Jack in the Box • Lucky Stuff

  32. Active Social Engagement

  33. Challenges • Little interest in objects of people • May not play simple interaction games • May not laugh or smile in response to positive statements • Limited interest in social speech, imitation, and joint attention • Lack of social function or understanding of social cues

  34. Socialization and Academic Progress • Social communication and academic progress are inherently linked • We learn by observing others and through witnessing the outcomes of those behaviors

  35. Fundamentals of Social Development • Social speech • Collaborative play • Eye contact • Joint attention

  36. Let’s make music! Pass the Ball We are the Dinosaurs

  37. Other Challenges for Students with special needs • Language Delays • Age Appropriate Interests • Difficulty interpreting behaviors and emotions • Difficulty interpreting facial expressions that include emotion

  38. Socialization Strategies

  39. Considerations for lesson planning • Imitation • Fine motor movements • Motor planning • Taking turns on instruments • Performing partner songs

  40. Social Stories • As individual books • Using pictures of the student modeling appropriate social behavior • “Setting up” social scenarios

  41. Lets make music! Lucy Locket Great Big House in New Orleans

  42. Strategies for Educators • Eye Contact • Appropriate Responses • Joint Attention

  43. Interest • Finding interests that connect students • May not be typical or age appropriate

  44. I love to Laugh • The Prism Project • Theory of Mind (revisited) • What is means to be funny • Telling Jokes

  45. I love to laugh

  46. Other considerations • Appropriate Atmosphere • Reverse Inclusion Opportunities • Pairing or “Buddying Up” • Literal Explanation (slang, etc.)

  47. Lets Move Up, Up, and Away Bach Movement

  48. Reverse Inclusion • Students who are neurotypical may be included in music settings with students with autism. Some models of this include: • ASSET (Autism Spectrum Support Education and Training)

  49. The Prism Project: Hip-Hop Experience

  50. Concluding thoughts Alice Hammel hammela@me.com

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