Advancing Teaching of Music & Dance to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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1 Neighborhood Music School Kingston, NH Advancing Teaching of Music & Dance to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW The objective of this project was to grow and institutionalize the capacity of Neighborhood Music School (NMS) one of the largest community schools of the arts in the US to provide high-quality music and dance instruction to students with special needs. While these students represent every possible challenge one might imagine, funds provided through the grant from Autism Speaks were used to further this project with respect to the subset of the population comprising students with autism. During the period of the grant (January December 2011), we found this subset to be a highly willing and available population in our community. For example, an unexpected number of NMS faculty came forward to offer their classes to critique sessions with the Special Needs group, including experts from the Center for Autism at Southern Connecticut State University. Moreover, partnerships with area institutions specializing in individuals with special needs and one in particular specializing in individuals with autism were initiated. Two and a half years ago, it became apparent that some 10% to 15% of the NMS s 3,000 students have physical, intellectual, developmental, or behavioral challenges that require appropriate pedagogical skills. While many of the School s 130 faculty members are trained and experienced in teaching students with special needs, it was found that sometimes these students were placed in teaching situations resulting in frustration for both student and teacher. Since the School s mission states that high-quality education in music and dance will be made available to all, NMS decided to undertake a professional development project for faculty to address the teaching of students with special needs through its traditional teaching rather than through music therapy. In 2010, thanks to a donation from an interested family, a group of NMS faculty members were able to participate in Phase 1. This particular group had experience, training, and/or interest in teaching students with special needs and together represented all of the school s pedagogical departments. For 8 months, this team of dedicated faculty received weekly lectures from experts at Yale s Child Study Center (YCSC), including its director Dr. Fred Volkmar; Dr. Ami Klin, Director of its Autism Center; and Dr. David Sasso. The team also participated in guest presentations from organizations such as Music for Autism and Arts for Healing. Finally, a library of materials was begun and one or two classes were videotaped for subsequent group critique. Phase 2 in 2011 was funded by a generous grant from Autism Speaks and has been the hands-on learning phase during which the Special Needs team moved from being a passive recipient of information to an active participant in the learning process. Over the 12 months from January to December 2011, a tremendous amount was accomplished, and the multiple objectives of the grant have for the most part been met and exceeded. We are deeply grateful to Autism Speaks for its support of this project, which is having a huge impact on NMS faculty, its students, and its community. 1

2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES 1. To provide professional development to educate a core group of Neighborhood Music School faculty in methodologies & best practices for teaching students with ASD to assure them high quality learning experiences in music and dance 2. To increase the size and scope of the NMS library of resources related to teaching music and dance to students with ASD and other special needs 3. To publish two informational brochures about teaching music and dance to individuals with ASD and other special needs at NMS: one for the NMS faculty, the other for NMS families and the larger community 4. To reach out to the entire NMS community and to individuals and groups in the larger New Haven area to grow a network of organizations interested in incorporating the teaching of music and dance to individuals with autism and other special needs into their work PROJECT STEPS Objective One: To provide professional development to educate a core group of Neighborhood Music School faculty in methodologies & best practices for teaching students with ASD to assure them high quality learning experiences in music and dance Videotaping The faculty development focus in Phase 2 was on practice and this was accomplished through videotaping and analyzing the results. Dr. Fred Volkmar assisted NMS in securing the pro bono participation throughout Phase 2 of Dr. Ruth Eren, Co-Director, and Barbara Cook, Director of Training, both of the Center for Autism at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. These two experts traveled to NMS once a month for five months to lead group critiques of videotapes of actual lessons given by NMS faculty to students with autism. Taping sessions were structured as follows with the process providing useful insights to both new and experienced faculty: a) pre-taping interviews were done with the teacher and the parent(s) of the student; b) the videotaped session was viewed by the Special Needs team and the teacher in question with the guidance of Ruth Eren and Barbara Cook; c) the teacher incorporated suggestions into the lesson or class before a second videotaping; d) the second video was viewed by the same group in order to identify changes, and e) the teacher wrote a final summary of the experience. All NMS faculty were invited to participate in the filming. The only criterion was the presence of a student with special needs (autism in this case as it was our first area of focus). Increasing Faculty Participation Phase 2 also intended to increase the cadre of the NMS faculty directly engaged in the professional development provided by the project and to introduce additional faculty to their work. Announcements of 2

3 opportunities to participate in the project, and opportunities to engage in the videotaping helped advance this agenda. Objective Two: To increase the size and scope of the NMS library of resources related to teaching music and dance to students with ASD and other special needs Project Library In 2011, the Special Needs Resource Library grew substantially to include books and printed articles, but primarily electronic files housed on the group s Google Docs site, which was created at the project s inception and now contains almost 200 MB of files, including: Grant applications and reports describing the project Audiotapes of video critiques sessions PowerPoint presentations by guest lecturers Faculty data on experience with students with special needs Audiotapes of presentations made by guest speakers from community organizations Minutes of meetings Special Needs newsletters Permission forms and questionnaires Articles published elsewhere on the subject of special needs The Special Needs Newsletters have served a particularly important role in the project and the library. Published when needed, and disseminated only to project participants, the newsletters include a summary of recent past events and actions, a calendar of upcoming events and actions, copies of faculty reports on lesson experiences, and anything else of interest to the group. The newsletters permit all project players to stay on top of what is happening, and serve as an invaluable source of historical information on the project. Objective Three: To publish two informational brochures about teaching music and dance to individuals with ASD and other special needs at NMS: one for the NMS faculty, the other for NMS families and the larger community Informational Brochures The first brochure targeted to the NMS faculty was drafted in 2011; its purpose is: 1. to sensitize all NMS faculty to the importance of knowing how to recognize special needs behaviors, 2. to inform all faculty of their need to consciously decide whether or not to accept students with special needs in their studio, 3. to give all NMS faculty some preliminary tools for teaching students with special needs successfully, and 4. to encourage all NMS faculty to look to the Special Needs team for guidance and support. 3

4 The first edition of the brochure for the faculty focuses on students with autism. In the future, we plan to incorporate students with other challenges. One of the biggest challenges in writing this booklet has been the intention to discourage faculty from falling into the amateur psychologist trap. We do not want faculty to diagnose students themselves and then teach to that (easily erroneous) diagnosis. Thus, the booklet is written as much as possible in terms of behaviors, not labels. Video: in addition to the brochures, a video is in preparation to present at a faculty colloquium; it is intended to: 1. focus on NMS s work to become a center of excellence in teaching music/dance to students with special needs, 2. to update faculty on accomplishments to date in collaboration with Chapel Haven, the Institute for Professional Practice (IPPI), and the Village School (ACES), and 3. offer the services of the Special Needs team to faculty facing challenges in teaching a student or students. With or without a diagnosis, sometimes just having a fresh perspective can result in a breakthrough in teaching. Objective Four: To reach out to the entire NMS community and to individuals and groups in the larger New Haven area to grow a network of organizations interested in incorporating the teaching of music and dance to individuals with autism and other special needs into their work Outreach to the NMS community The NMS Registration Process Historically, the only reference to special needs made at registration was a single line on the registration form: Please indicate any special needs or disabilities of which NMS and its instructors should be aware: The school s new online registration process, launched in the summer of 2011, permits a more flexible and proactive interface with prospective students. Students registering for classes now encounter the following: Neighborhood Music School has a number of faculty skilled in teaching music and dance to students with special needs. Would you like to know more about this option? (checkbox) Yes (checkbox) No. If the student checks the Yes box, another screen appears with the following: If you would like to share some details regarding your interest in the special needs option, please take advantage of the space here. In either case, we will be in touch with you shortly. Thank you! (textbox) This information (if any) and registration information for anyone who checks the Yes box is automatically forwarded to our Head of Music Education and a Special Needs project director, for follow-up. By taking the registration out of the usual registration process, students who indicate a desire for special treatment are immediately channeled into an interview process designed just for students with special needs, and they are subsequently matched with a teacher known to be experienced in teaching students with special needs. The wording of the revised questions is largely the result of comments by our Special Needs faculty team. Parent Support Group We believe we have much to gain from parents of special needs students. They consult regularly with their children s teachers, and we continue to reach out to them to ask for their input, advice, and counsel. 4

5 Outreach into the Greater New Haven community Relationships with other local/regional organizations National Outreach NMS submitted a proposal to the National Guild for Community Arts Education to present the Neighborhood Music School Special Needs Project at their November national conference in Boston. The proposal was accepted, but due to a scheduling difficulty, NMS Special Needs team members were unable to participate. We expect to submit it again next year and look forward to presenting a similar proposal to the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy. PROJECT OUTCOMES Outcomes for Objective One: To provide professional development to educate a core group of Neighborhood Music School faculty in methodologies & best practices for teaching students with ASD to assure them high quality learning experiences in music and dance Videotaping The videotaping was highly successful and resulted in a variety of instructive videotapes now available in the NMS Special Needs Resource Library. The most dramatic effect of the videotaping formula occurred in the case of Gretchen s lesson with a teenage boy with autism. The first video shows Gretchen and her student moving independently around the room, the student apparently oblivious to her presence. The follow-up video shows Gretchen and her student singing together either side-by-side or face-to-face, with the student imitating her movements. (This student subsequently participated in a year-end recital and told his teacher that he felt nervous!) Increasing Faculty Participation The Project Directors encouraged the long-term stability of a core of faculty as well as the growth of a network of faculty who are cognizant of the project through occasional interaction. In January 2011, the Special Needs team included seven participants. During the year the core team of faculty members increased to ten with four new members from the dance and piano departments. Nine additional faculty members (including early childhood, guitar, jazz & rock and steel pans/band) were also involved with the project in 2011 bringing the total of faculty directly engaged in the project to nineteen at the end of Outcomes for Objective Two: To increase the size and scope of the NMS library of resources related to teaching music and dance to students with ASD and other special needs Building the Special Needs Library, especially ASD-related materials The funding from Autism Speaks made it possible for NMS to increase the size and scope of the Special Needs Library significantly. Materials in the collection are now an invaluable source of historical information 5

6 on the project as well as orientation for newcomers to the Special Needs Project. They include books and printed articles, but are primarily electronic and housed on the group s Google Docs site, which was created at the project s inception and now contains almost 200 MB of files. Outcomes for Objective Three: To publish two informational brochures about teaching music and dance to individuals with ASD and other special needs at NMS: one for the NMS faculty, the other for NMS families and the larger community The first edition of the informational brochure for the NMS faculty focuses on autism and is the process of publication and will be disseminated to faculty in The second brochure detailing the Special Needs resources at NMS for NMS families and the general public is expected to be prepared in An informational video to present NMS s efforts to become a center of excellence in teaching music and dance to students with special needs, to showcase recent accomplishments with collaborating organizations serving special needs populations, and to offer the experience of the SN team in assisting other faculty members is in development thanks to the impetus provided by the Autism Speaks grant. Outcomes for Objective Four: To reach out to the entire NMS community and to individuals and groups in the larger New Haven area to grow a network of organizations interested in incorporating the teaching of music and dance to individuals with autism and other special needs into their work The NMS Registration Process The NMS registration process has been significantly revised to provide a helpful mechanism for addressing the needs of students with autism and other special needs from their first contact with NMS with individual follow through provided from experienced faculty leaders. Relationships with other local/regional/national organizations Collaborations of value to NMS and a number of local/regional organizations serving special needs populations have been initiated, and reciprocal resources are being shared throughout this network. All of those providing social services are new to NMS, so this network building is an important step forward for the organization as well as an opportunity for these new partners to bring the benefits of music and dance to their clients. 6

7 ATTACHED to this report are: recent comments from NMS faculty about their work with ASD and other special needs groups in the community. These faculty members have benefited directly from the professional development and impetus to go beyond the walls of NMS provided by the Autism Speaks grant and a report on a percussion program at ACES Village School that was completed in December 2011; it is a model for programs currently underway at Chapel Haven for young adults with ASD transitioning to independent life. Anecdotal Comments from Neighborhood Music School s Special Needs Team Members & Staff of Partnering Organizations that Serve Special Needs Populations (including students with ASD) During the three months of September through November 2011, a select group of approximately 32 children attending the ACES Village School in North Haven were given the opportunity to participate in music and dance lessons conducted by faculty from the Special Needs Team at Neighborhood Music School in New Haven. The Special Needs Program with ACES shared with the students, faculty, and staff of that school a new appreciation for the ability of music and dance to bring a sense of joy and success to students with special needs. As the resident music therapist, Jamie P., remarked during the closing session of the percussion class, she learned as much from the NMS faculty as they learned from her, and she planned on integrating many of their techniques into her therapeutic sessions. Feedback from faculty at the ACES Village School indicates similar observations. For example, Linda B. wrote on December 21: [NMS dance and singing instructors] Ingeborg and Tracey used continuous modeling, cueing and gestural prompting in order to promote success for the students.... [On] the day of their last session,... I stepped out of my classroom to check in with Ingeborg and Tracey and I heard the most beautiful and heartwarming sound of children singing Christmas Carols. It was clearly the students that were participating in the singing sessions. I was so taken at how successful the children had become. It was a great moment!!! Likewise, at the end of the session, the students gave both ladies lots of hugs, handshakes and thank yous to show their appreciation. These comments by Linda are particularly striking given that many of the students in the class had ASD, which is frequently marked by an inability to engage with others and difficulty with social interactions. At the Institute for Professional Practice (IPPA), NMS Instructor Beth P. commented: 7

8 The residents played the guiros beautifully. Furthermore, they not only tapped the guiros, but were also able to rub the guiros with the mallet; thus, making the 'frog' sounds. It's nice for the staff to see the residents perform tasks that the staff might not think the residents are able to complete. Hopefully, this will heighten the level of expectations to what tasks the residents can complete." "The clients hardly ever have an opportunity to move, which is so important in keeping a healthy, balance body. The movement was loved by many of the clients! In fact, one of the clients who tends to be aggressive, loved the walking and running. He followed right behind me the whole time and achieved every 'stop' perfectly! This was wonderful to see, because he has no language." Patty S., a nurse at IPPI noted: "I was overjoyed to see 'my guys' enjoying themselves. One of the clients that has anger issues has never smiled as much as he did during the movement section of class." 8

9 Percussion Summary December 2011 One of the opportunities Neighborhood Music School faculty had to put into practice what they were learning from the professional development in the Autism Speaks grant was at ACES Village School. The following is a report on the impact of the percussion ensemble class provided by NMS. Faculty members of Neighborhood Music School were able to teach music to children with varying special needs at the A C ES Village School in North Haven, Connecticut. Over an eleven-week period, teachers from Neighborhood Music School taught two half-hour percussion ensemble classes to children with varying special needs with help from music therapist Jamie P., who assisted in their learning process. For many children with varying developmental disabilities, music can be used to reduce anxiety and behavioral problems, increase socialization, develop interpersonal skills, increase hand-eye coordination, and promote vestibular perception (e.g., how to hold the mallet, where to strike the drum). Music is also an outlet for emotional release and a way to channel energy. Percussion ensembles are one type of functional activity that supports language development, categorization, sequencing, predicting, turn taking, problem solving, listening, and following directions. Many of the students who participated in the groups experience difficulties in these developmental areas. However, they were able to actively participate and engage in activities that focused on rhythm, tempo, and turn taking. There were many benefits of the percussion ensemble that were seen from both the therapist s point of view and the music teacher s point of view: Students were practicing social interaction by saying their name at the start of a session. At the same time, by creating a sound on their instrument after saying their name, they were working on rhythm, and finding a way to hold a new instrument to make it speak. They took turns watching and learning from a leader, from their peers, and eventually from the music itself. Most students with varying developmental disabilities only hear the music as background noise. However, by the end of the eleven weeks, students were beginning to focus on the music and let it tell them when to play. Students practiced and learned when it was time to play and when it was time to keep the instrument quiet. This required great patience with some students and over time was a success. For non-verbal students this was a chance for them to be successful in an activity that did not involve speaking. They were able to play instruments just as well as verbal students, and this gave them a great sense of satisfaction at being part of the group. At the end of the eleven weeks, students had successfully learned what tempo and dynamics are, how to play on and off beats, and when to play together, alone, or not at all. 9

10 Many students showed success and great improvement over the course of this class: At the beginning, some had trouble playing in tempo and as a group. By the end, not only did they play in tempo but they were able to alter the tempo from slow and fast. Some students were able to master the technical use of different types of percussion instruments. For example, one student was able to hold a guiro in one hand and scrape the mallet against it with the other hand. Other students were able to master holding an instrument independently. Students were able to follow the teacher s instructions and listen to the music for cues. As the weeks went by, each student s focus became longer, allowing work on activities for longer periods of time. The most wonderful improvement and benefit of all was in the students attitudes and excitement level. On more than one occasion, several students entered the music room agitated, having just returned from a behavioral intervention. These students soon were able to relax, engage, and work with ease, often leaving the room with a smile. Halfway through the eleven weeks, it was observed by the staff that many students began to look forward to percussion ensemble and entered the room with a smile, excited to join in on the day s activity. Music is a powerful tool that, when presented in an open and inviting manner, can be an enormous asset to many students with disabilities as well as a way to model what strengths many students have, thus allowing them to shine! 10