I'd like to share some children who have captured my heart this year-my special education music class, a class of about 15-20 children with various disabilities and handicaps-5 in wheelchairs, some with autism, some Down's syndrome, Tourette's- the gamut. As I have said, I have taught special ed students for years-many wonderful children, but this is the class that came at the right moment. Karma.
I start every class the same way, with a short hello song, where I sing to each student and shake his/her hand. Some of the kids will sing back, some won't. Some will not shake my hand, others will shake both. One likes to touch elbows. Another gives high-fives. One girl will clap her hands when it's her turn. One girl sings the hello song all day long in the classroom too. Today one student sang the hello song by himself loud and strong for the very first time. Last week, one of my girls shook my hand for the first time. Another girl, who is quadripligic has been looking at me with her eyes whenever I sing to her. One student with autism, will look at me when we sing the hello song and shake hands. He looks for a few seconds and then looks away and looks at me, looks away. It's great. It's tremendous for him. All of these little, seemingly simple tasks that have taken until the end of the school year for them to try. We cheer and fuss over them and they adore the attention of doing something so amazing like shaking a hand.
A few weeks ago, I did a song called Punchinella, where one student can come to the front and create a motion and the kids sing and copy the motion. I tried it with the special ed kids, not sure if they would be comfortable or not. As it turns out, they adore this song and almost every one of them will get up in front of the class alone to do motions. My one boy with autism got up in front of the class with me and grasped my hand and proceeded to dance around. He followed the motions of his classmates too. Another girl with severe autism came up and flapped her hands excitedly to the music and didn't want to sit down. A few of them would come up when it wasn't their turn because they wanted to try. We did that song for almost a month.
Another time we did a freeze dance song and one boy with autism was holding my hand while he folded himself in half so his head was down by his knees and he was dancing without looking. At first, I was confused because I thought he was not comfortable. Yet, he refused to let go of my hand and he was swaying and moving with the music. He would freeze at the appropriate time too. I realized he was enjoying himself and he didn't have to look at anyone in the process. Okay by me.
One girl wears a football-type helmet. She has seizures and also has self-injurious behavior. She doesn't talk except a word here or there. If I sit next to her, she stares at me intently, a little too close sometimes, but she keeps a rock-steady beat if she claps or taps. She laughs when she gets a turn for special conducting or an instrument-she loves music.
Another student was uncontrollably loud and angry when he first came to class. He has been sitting respectfully and calmly because he saw the routine was always the same. His impulse is to get up and run around, but he waits patiently until we do our movement song. I keep all of the songs in a particular order and he knows exactly when we will get up and move. As long as he gets to move and dance, we are good.
One of my friendlier students repeats everything I say. If I say "How are you?", he says "How are you?" He has a broad smile and such a happy soul. Sometimes he comes in and yells out profanity uncontrollably, which was disconcerting to me at first. But today at the end of class, he ran up and hugged me before he left. Such a doll.
The class has at least 7-9 aides and every one of them participates completely. I also have had speech, occupational, physical therapists coming in to see the kids in music too. This class could not have come to me at a better time in my life. Back in August when I started noticing differences in Connor, I asked this special ed teacher's advice. She didn't sugar-coat anything, especially as her previous job was an early intervention evaluator for the state. She told me point-blank, "This is going to be a hard life and you are going to have to find your voice. Your son is too little to help himself and you have to do it now." She comes in and checks on me every few classes. She asks about my son, gives me encouragement and she is careful to be honest. She will answer any question I have. And they all remind me how important my gift of music is to all of the kids and I finally feel like I am gaining some purpose. I have to believe that this class was given to me for a reason, if nothing else to help me prove to myself that I can do this.
So, we celebrate the triumph of a longer glance, a handshake, a tiny voice taking wings for the first time-and there are many days when I leave that class feeling like I am walking on air. They bolster my spirit and many of them are giving me what little they can offer. You cannot ask for more than that sometimes. Music seems to find a place deep in the soul and connects on a level that cannot be done in ordinary conversation.
My quote sitting on my desk reads:
Every day brings new challenges, therefore
we accept them
we overcome them
we learn and persist
Friends who are blogging for autism-please visit and support them too! And if you would like me to include your blog, please let me know.
Jeni
Mary
I start every class the same way, with a short hello song, where I sing to each student and shake his/her hand. Some of the kids will sing back, some won't. Some will not shake my hand, others will shake both. One likes to touch elbows. Another gives high-fives. One girl will clap her hands when it's her turn. One girl sings the hello song all day long in the classroom too. Today one student sang the hello song by himself loud and strong for the very first time. Last week, one of my girls shook my hand for the first time. Another girl, who is quadripligic has been looking at me with her eyes whenever I sing to her. One student with autism, will look at me when we sing the hello song and shake hands. He looks for a few seconds and then looks away and looks at me, looks away. It's great. It's tremendous for him. All of these little, seemingly simple tasks that have taken until the end of the school year for them to try. We cheer and fuss over them and they adore the attention of doing something so amazing like shaking a hand.
A few weeks ago, I did a song called Punchinella, where one student can come to the front and create a motion and the kids sing and copy the motion. I tried it with the special ed kids, not sure if they would be comfortable or not. As it turns out, they adore this song and almost every one of them will get up in front of the class alone to do motions. My one boy with autism got up in front of the class with me and grasped my hand and proceeded to dance around. He followed the motions of his classmates too. Another girl with severe autism came up and flapped her hands excitedly to the music and didn't want to sit down. A few of them would come up when it wasn't their turn because they wanted to try. We did that song for almost a month.
Another time we did a freeze dance song and one boy with autism was holding my hand while he folded himself in half so his head was down by his knees and he was dancing without looking. At first, I was confused because I thought he was not comfortable. Yet, he refused to let go of my hand and he was swaying and moving with the music. He would freeze at the appropriate time too. I realized he was enjoying himself and he didn't have to look at anyone in the process. Okay by me.
One girl wears a football-type helmet. She has seizures and also has self-injurious behavior. She doesn't talk except a word here or there. If I sit next to her, she stares at me intently, a little too close sometimes, but she keeps a rock-steady beat if she claps or taps. She laughs when she gets a turn for special conducting or an instrument-she loves music.
Another student was uncontrollably loud and angry when he first came to class. He has been sitting respectfully and calmly because he saw the routine was always the same. His impulse is to get up and run around, but he waits patiently until we do our movement song. I keep all of the songs in a particular order and he knows exactly when we will get up and move. As long as he gets to move and dance, we are good.
One of my friendlier students repeats everything I say. If I say "How are you?", he says "How are you?" He has a broad smile and such a happy soul. Sometimes he comes in and yells out profanity uncontrollably, which was disconcerting to me at first. But today at the end of class, he ran up and hugged me before he left. Such a doll.
The class has at least 7-9 aides and every one of them participates completely. I also have had speech, occupational, physical therapists coming in to see the kids in music too. This class could not have come to me at a better time in my life. Back in August when I started noticing differences in Connor, I asked this special ed teacher's advice. She didn't sugar-coat anything, especially as her previous job was an early intervention evaluator for the state. She told me point-blank, "This is going to be a hard life and you are going to have to find your voice. Your son is too little to help himself and you have to do it now." She comes in and checks on me every few classes. She asks about my son, gives me encouragement and she is careful to be honest. She will answer any question I have. And they all remind me how important my gift of music is to all of the kids and I finally feel like I am gaining some purpose. I have to believe that this class was given to me for a reason, if nothing else to help me prove to myself that I can do this.
So, we celebrate the triumph of a longer glance, a handshake, a tiny voice taking wings for the first time-and there are many days when I leave that class feeling like I am walking on air. They bolster my spirit and many of them are giving me what little they can offer. You cannot ask for more than that sometimes. Music seems to find a place deep in the soul and connects on a level that cannot be done in ordinary conversation.
My quote sitting on my desk reads:
Every day brings new challenges, therefore
we accept them
we overcome them
we learn and persist
Friends who are blogging for autism-please visit and support them too! And if you would like me to include your blog, please let me know.
Jeni
Mary
7 comments:
A lovely insight into your class. Love your quote.
Linda,
A very heartfelt post about your special education class. You are very dedicated to helping those children and I know it means a lot to you.
T
One of the first things Maya learned after she started going to school last fall was the "Hello" song! She loves to sing and it was a talent she has that we first recognized about 15 months ago one night when I realized she was trying to sing "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Since then, she has learned several songs through us teaching her them as well as from watching the Country Music Channel on TV -which she loves! Now, with school and they seem to be teaching the kids new songs there all the time, she's picking up more and more along the music lines every day! And it's so great to hear her "Voice" -through her speech and now, through music.
One recent acquistion of hers is "The Hokey Pokey" and she really loves that one -does all the moves to it and so darned cute to watch her as she sings and "puts her 'big butt in' -and out -that change to the line she learned from a very good friend of her mother's!
It is so obvious what a caring and industrious teacher you are to your students. Never lose that ability. Music is such a wonderful means to help educate all children but especially those with special needs and you are a great instructor those kids are so lucky to have you!
What a wonderful teacher you are! This sounds like it is a wonderful class - one that nourishes the spirits of the kids and the teacher and the visitors. So wonderful.
I'm wondering if anyone has explored whether autistic kids would learn speech more easily through music... I remember reading somewhere ages ago that people who have had strokes and can't talk can still sing because music uses a different part of the brain - something like that.
I repeat that you have book trying to write itself.
You must be an excellent teacher! Your students are so lucky.
I celebrated their triumphs because of how lovingly you write about them.
You're a hero to me Linda. A shining warrior.
Hi Linda! I finally got my initial post up so if you would like to, please add me to your "list of blogging for Autism" friends.
Thank you for your very informational postings..your words flows so beautifully! *HUGS & SMILES*
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