For confidentiality reasons, I don’t reveal the name, gender, or school where this student attends.

About a month ago, I worked with a sweet autistic grade schooler. I was very excited to accompany them to their music class. Most classes have been amazing- adapting to the needs of these special littles – but there have been some exceptions. I’ve seen teachers wanting nothing more than to have the student sit quietly, and some students can. For those students whose little bodies need constant movement, such expectations can be unrealistic. I’ve seen other teachers give special education students lots of breaks where they can leave the room temporarily or for the remainder of the class. This day, however, was different. The teacher told me the student had tactile activities to complete while the rest of the class participated in singing and movement exercises. I was shocked when the teacher handed me laminated sheets of quarter, eighth notes, and rests. This autistic child was expected to match the shapes with flash cards while they seemed much more interested in observing the other students, moving to the beat of the song, and tapping the carpet with a loose drumstick they found. It didn’t surprise me at all that this child didn’t enjoy this tactile activity. I looked around the room and saw solfege. The class had stopped listening and moving around the class and were now listening to a story about parts of an orchestra. Every time an instrument sounded, my student looked up and smiled, but I was instructed to redirect. And the student was able to match the notes and rests. Still….

I acknowledge my lack of teaching skills whether in general education, special education, or music education. Still, it seemed to me that this class was slowly destroying any engagement this student could have with music. Any change in behavior, academic performance, or executive function would not be seen.