Teaching Special Needs: A Parent's Perspective
This spring issue of the
Kansas Music Review relates directly to the KMEA
strategic plan, but it especially hits home for me as a teacher and as a
parent. We didn't recognize it at first. We had two beautiful little children, 22
months apart. The concern began when our youngest was ten months old
and still not sitting up. The doctor diagnosed it as hypertonia, or slow
muscle development, but we soon found that her cognition wasn't
developing like her big brother's did either. People kept telling us she would
catch up, but the gap between Rebecca and the 'normal' kids grew wider
and wider. Soon, the label of developmental delay turned into cognitive
impairment. Others, who were unaware of the politically correct label, called
it retardation.
My hope as the editor of the
KMR, and as a parent of a learning disabled
daughter, is that this special focus issue will give you insights that will help
you care for people with disabilities and to share with them the incredible
gift of music. Each of the articles in this issue specifically addresses that
purpose. I think you will find that the advice given by the authors is actually
great advice for all learners, not just those with a label. It's simply good
teaching.
Julia Heath-Reynolds and Shaun Popp lead off the list of articles as they
discuss proactive strategies for including students in the music program,
stressing that the key step to inclusion is to learn about the student, his
capabilities, and his needs. Once you do this, you can choose or create
effective proactive adaptations for the student and for the classroom. Christy
Todd's article discussing inclusion in the choral classroom and our own Kris
Brenzikofer's similar article for instrumental classrooms are both chalk-full
of great insights and strategies for teachers with performing ensembles. I
think you will love the video embedded in the Todd article. Next, Ellary
Draper presents multiple ways in which teachers may address the ever
present issue of assessment within the music classroom, especially as it
relates to students with disabilities. Finally, we include a reprint of an article
by Mary Adamek, Alice-Ann Darrow, and Judith Jellison that reviews five
important initiatives in education and their impact on teaching children with
disabilities.
While these articles offer great advice from a teacher's perspective, they
lack the perspective of a parent. What do parents want? What do they want
you to know about their children? What motivates their behavior in relation
to your subject? A great deal of research has been undertaken in this area,
and I think I can boil it down to these few basic ideas:
- A label does not say it all. Every child is different; therefore it is unwise
to prescribe adaptations for a child solely based on the label he or she has
been given. While understanding the basic characteristics and needs of
children within diagnosed umbrellas is a great place to start, we must
understand that each child has a different personality, strengths and
weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and a different personal history which has
as much or more effect on behavior and achievement as a label does. I think
we were lucky because Rebecca has no diagnosed syndrome or label.
Therefore, her teachers have no preconceived notions and assumptions
about her capabilities and potential. Instead, they simply get to know her
and make decisions based on that knowledge.
- Communicate with other teachers. Other teachers have instructed the
children in your class with special needs. It is important to talk with past
teachers and current teachers and support staff from other areas to
understand a child's capabilities and needs. The knowledge gained from the
collaboration may help you prevent issues from occurring and create
appropriate adaptations once they are encountered.
- Make it as inclusive as feasible. Direct contact between special needs
students and their average peers positively influences attitudes toward
individuals with disabilities, decreases prejudices, and provide positive
models for the students with disabilities (Jellison & Taylor, 2007). Further,
students with special needs want to be like everyone else (Gallagher, et al.,
2000) and need socialization skills (Westling, 1996). Within the last week, I
have seen my daughter play a basketball game, play her violin in a concert,
and participate in a beauty pageant for women with special needs (yes, it
was a busy week!). In each of these events, I witnessed the extreme joy on
the faces of the participants simply doing things that other kids do. On the
other hand, I have heard of children in wheel chairs who were separated
from the rest of the students during concerts and students not allowed to
perform, mainly due to lack of communication with the child and the parent.
- Some children need adaptations to be successful. Parents may believe
that regular education teachers are untrained, ignorant, or even negative
toward dealing with their children (Gallagher, et al., 2000). They want quality
services and meaningful instruction (Westling, 1996) that is flexible enough
to help them be successful but to be as inclusive as possible. In Rebecca's
case, since she cannot read music, her teachers have made recordings of
the concert music for her to practice at home (I'm listening to her playing
along with a recording as I write!) and have teamed her up with a buddy to
help her organize her instrument case and write notes home regarding
homework and announcements. With this help, Rebecca can positively
contribute to the ensemble. As Christy Todd stated in her article, "Every
student matters. How can you differentiate performance to provide
opportunities for all students to be successful?"
- Parents often feel the stigma of having a child who is not 'normal' and
often blame themselves for this (Moses, 2010). They worry about exposure
to chemicals during pregnancy, a bad gene pool, bad parenting, or a
negative family environment. Studies suggest that greater the parental self-
blame leads to lower psychological wellbeing in the parent and the child
(Moses, 2010). Therefore, for the good of our students, we must provide
emotional support and help parents look toward the future rather than help
them beat themselves for things that may - or may not - have happened in
the past.
- Parents are their children's best advocates. However, dealing with a
special needs child is new territory for them, so we need advice regarding
the resources available, legal rights and responsibilities schools and
parents have. Depending on the disability, we may also need direction when
it comes to planning for adulthood and ensuring a positive lifestyle for our
offspring (Westling, 1996). Please be patient with them if they come across
pushy while trying to navigate the system. Music teachers can aid in this
area by informing parents of other musical opportunities for their children in
the community and providing ideas for adapting musical activities to allow
for successful musical growth. I have to admit that I remained blissfully
ignorant of these issues as a band teacher - until I encountered them as a
parent.
- Music can be a powerful therapy for students with disabilities - and for
those without disabilities. I was reminded of this yesterday at the Wichita
"Miss Unstoppable" pageant. A young lady approached the microphone to
speak and it took her nearly a minute to say her name because of her
stuttering disability. A few minutes later, she stepped up to the microphone
again; this time to sing a song while her mom accompanied her on piano.
She sang beautifully, with no sign of a stutter. Others sang or played piano
or violin, and though none of them would meet the criteria for a "I" at festival,
they demonstrated through their bodies and their huge smiles the power in
the music. Imagine what life could be like for these young ladies if they
didn't have music! We each have the opportunity to bring this blessing to all
students with or without special needs.
- You need to know how much parents appreciate your help and the
compassion of other students. We know our children can be difficult - we
live with them! When we see teachers and other students reach out to our
children rather than ignore them or hide from them, we feel blessed. As we
dropped Rebecca off in the orchestra room before last Tuesday's concert,
we saw three other students give her a high five and ask her how she was
doing. Then at Wednesday's Special Olympics basketball game, the varsity
boy's team (who just won the state tournament) sat in the stands to cheer
the team while the high school pep band played all game long. After the
game, Rebecca gave hugs to other students from school who simply came
to watch the game and cheer on their schoolmates. She felt like she
belonged and her parents felt blessed knowing their child was loved and
respected by people who were not being paid to love and respect her.
Finally, every child has a role and purpose in this world, though some may
not meet the Common Core goal of career and college readiness. They add
to our society as they teach us to forgive and to show compassion to
others. They contribute to our value system, reminding us to take the time
to know one another, to enjoy the moment, and to count our blessings. It is
quite interesting to see how the people who help these children often say
that they were blessed more than the child they were helping.
So, from a parent of a special needs child, thank you for what you do. We
know they're not always easy to teach. In fact, we know they can be
frustrating at times. But we appreciate the love you give them and the effort
you put forth to make their education as meaningful for them as you do for
all students.
References
Gallagher, P.A., Floyd, J.H., Stafford, A.M., Taber, T.A., Brozovic, S.A. &
Alberto, P.A. (2000). Inclusion of Students with Moderate or Severe
Disabilities in Educational and Community Settings: Perspectives from
Parents and Siblings. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities, 35(2), 135-147.
Judith A. Jellison and Donald M. Taylor (2007). Attitudes toward Inclusion
and Students with Disabilities: A Review of Three Decades of Music
Research. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 172, 9-23.
Moses, T. (2010). Exploring Parents' Self-Blame in Relation to
Adolescents' Mental Disorders, Family Relations, 59(2),103-120.
Westling, D. L. (1996). What do parents of children with moderate and
severe mental disabilities want? Education and Training in Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 31(2), 86-114.