Transcript Understanding Communication and Cognition and

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
Teaching Music to students with
autism
• Follows same
approach
• Domains
Communication
The Communication Domain
Communication
“The ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend
concepts of verbal, nonverbal, and graphic symbol
systems” (Heflin & Alamo)
Communication
Process
Receive
Information
Understand
and Process
Information
Express
Understanding
Commit to
Long Term
Memory
Receptive Language
Receptive language refers to the ability of a student to
receive and process/decode information.
Receptive
Language
Expressive Language
Expressive language is defined as the ability to use symbols of language
to express thoughts
(Lewis & Doorlag, 2006)
Expressive
Language
Specific challenges
Within the Communication Domain
Eye contact
• Gather information
• Indicate interests and
emotions
• The intent of others can
be very confusing
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
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.
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).
Accommodation/Modification
EXAMPLEs
• Utilize digital video and audio recordings for students
to take home and practice
• Communicate instructions in a multi-modal way
Alternative
Communication
The Skoog
Other Alternatives
• Big Mack (able net)
• Sign Language
• Clickers
Makey makey
Social Stories
• As individual books
• Using pictures of the student
Let’s Make Music
•
I Love My Little Rooster
• Ultimate Guitar (hold hand)
• Find your Family (rhythm/solfege)
• Hungry Caterpillar
Hungry caterpillar
Cognition
The Cognitive Domain
Cognitive Domain
• The ability of a student to receive, process, and commit
information to memory
• (Davis, Gfeller, and Thaut, 1999)
Cognitive Domain
Receive through sensory
receptors (i.e. ears, eyes,
etc.)
Understand and process
information
Commit to long term
memory
Central Coherence
• Central Coherence Theory
• Focus on the local rather than the global aspects of
an object of interest
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.
Executive Function
• Motor Planning
• Multi-step directions
• Megacognition
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
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
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.
Elementary Activities to strengthen
the cognitive domain
• Jack in the Box
• Lucky Stuff
Active Social
Engagement
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
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
Fundamentals of
Social Development
• Social speech
• Collaborative play
• Eye contact
• Joint attention
Let’s make music!
Pass the Ball
We are the Dinosaurs
Other Challenges for
Students with special needs
• Language Delays
• Age Appropriate
Interests
• Difficulty interpreting
behaviors and
emotions
• Difficulty interpreting
facial expressions
Socialization
Strategies
Considerations for
lesson planning
• Imitation
• Fine motor movements
• Motor planning
• Taking turns on instruments
• Performing partner songs
Social Stories
• As individual books
• Using pictures of the student
modeling appropriate social
behavior
• “Setting up” social scenarios
Lets make music!
Lucy Locket
Great Big House in New Orleans
Strategies for
Educators
• Eye Contact
• Appropriate Responses
• Joint Attention
Interest
• Finding interests that
connect students
• May not be typical or
age appropriate
I love to Laugh
• The Prism Project
• Theory of Mind (revisited)
• What is means to be funny
• Telling Jokes
I love to laugh
Other considerations
• Appropriate Atmosphere
• Reverse Inclusion Opportunities
• Pairing or “Buddying Up”
• Literal Explanation (slang, etc.)
Lets Move
Up, Up, and Away
Bach Movement
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)
The Prism Project: HipHop Experience
Concluding
thoughts
Alice Hammel
[email protected]