School concert accommodations to maximize inclusion
Click here to hear this blog post read in Jess’ voice.
A few months ago, I wrote on this blog about the challenges of school concerts for some students with high support needs, and how for some individuals there may be no way to make the experience of performing on a concert compatible with their sensory and social needs. This post is on a related topic, but focused on disabled students who can enjoy and be successful performing with appropriate support. What are some accommodations and strategies that can turn a school concert from a challenge into a joyful and memorable experience?
First and foremost, the concert content must be accessible to all of the students. That doesn’t mean that all student performers must perform the same thing in the same way. Instead of having a group of children sing as a unified chorus in a very traditional model, consider having multiple modes of musical engagement performed simultaneously so that there is an appropriate access point for every child: singing, playing instruments, using props, gesturing, fingerplays, dancing, conducting, acting out lyrics or stories, displaying visuals, and body percussion can all be incorporated into school concerts. Ideally, all students would be able to autonomously choose the role that best suits their interests and abilities, although there may be logistical barriers to this (e.g., we only own three congas, we need a critical mass of singers for the song to be heard by the audience, there’s not enough stage space for all the kids who want to be dancers, etc.). The idea is to create a performance where everyone belongs as they are, and for everyone to have adequate support to complete their performing role. For some students with higher support needs, this may mean the addition of prompting from an adult or peer, physical support, visual support, additional time (rubato or a grand pause!) to complete an act, and so on. The possibilities for this type of execution support are endless and extremely situational for the child and performance, so I won’t attempt to create a comprehensive list.
Beyond the concert content, what are other strategies that music teachers can employ to support their students with higher support needs in a performance?
Ask the child what they will need. Make time for a private conversation. How do they feel about the concert? What would they like the experience to be like? What do they need to feel comfortable and ready to perform? Not every child will be able to respond clearly to these questions, but some will.
Consult with the child’s Special Education teacher and the rest of their support team. These other teachers spend more hours with the student every week and see them across a broader range of contexts than the music teacher, so they will have a better understanding of the child’s total interests and abilities. Discuss with them: what challenges is this child likely to face when participating in the concert? How will they react? What can we do to reduce their potential distress? What supports can we provide to promote their success? What “success” would the child value most?
Use a social story to help students manage their emotional and cognitive load by understanding with specificity what to anticipate in this new experience. Social stories use simple first person language to describe what will happen, what choices they may have, and how they will be supported. They do not tell a child how they will feel, so avoid saying things like “it will be fun.” It is important that social stories include visual support (not just spoken word) and can be reviewed repeatedly. Common forms of social stories include printed pages, slides, and videos.
Anticipate the sensory environment and provide mitigations and supports for students who may experience sensory overload: headphones or earplugs for loud and unpredictable sounds, sunglasses or brimmed hat for bright lights, fidgety sensory tools for self-regulation, flexible seating options (especially when not performing), etc.
Allow for comfortable clothing for all performers. Uniforms and mandatory “concert dress” are not accessible for all students. Encourage students to dress up if they would like to do so to make it feel like a special occasion for them, but it will be a special occasion regardless of how they dress. Make sure that all students feel that they belong no matter what they wear to the concert.
Some students may want to participate in the community experience of the concert but also feel deeply uncomfortable being directly perceived by the audience due to Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, social differences, or something else. If you have a student expressing this concern, first affirm their self awareness! We always want to encourage this type of self advocacy and reflection. In this situation, offer the option of performing from a less-visible location like on the floor in front of the stage, to the side of the stage, in the wings of the stage, or some other spot of their choosing. Let them know that they have options and can choose between multiple pre-approved locations in the moment depending on how they are feeling. Having this amount of agency can be deeply empowering and affirming for the child.
Have a contingency plan in case the student experiences unexpected distress. Even with extensive planning and supports in place, they may still experience overload and melt down. How can they signal a preemptive need to leave or change their circumstance during the concert? Who will help them manage it? Where will they go to re-regulate? What tools and strategies will they use for re-regulation? The answers to these questions should be part of the social story if at all possible.
Overall, be flexible and prepared to let go of the most rigid, compliance-oriented traditional models of concert performance. We’re in the second quarter of the 21st century! Concert success shouldn’t be measured in uniformity and perfection, but in individual and community joy and connection. Comments for this post are on– let us know what related ideas and stories you have!