Student Profile Number One

For student number one, I have selected a student in the music program at a Southeastern

Virginia middle school that requires a plethora of special educational services. I will be breaking

this document up into two parts: the first part will document the student’s background and status,

while the second portion of this document will be focused on what I would do in the music

classroom to help student number one.

Student number one comes from a background of elementary schools in the district that

all receive Title I funding. Student number one moved later in their elementary years from a

different borough to the one they now reside in. The student lives with just their mother, though

the father is supportive and has regular contact with the student. It also appears that the student

did not attend any form of pre-K instruction. Student number one has three siblings, one of

which was a teenage parent during student number one’s formative years. The family, at least at

one point, is/was receiving SNAP benefits from the Department of Social Services. It is

documented that the family is very supportive and nurturing of each other, and the amount of

help that the student has received reflects high levels of parental involvement.

Student number one recently demonstrated a hearing loss that is present in lower

frequencies of sound. Additionally, the student has been diagnosed with OCD at an early age, as

well as identified to have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Student number one is documented as

struggling with written language skills, though the student performs average/close to average in

spoken communication. These struggles were reported in the first years of the student’s

schooling.
 In general, student one appears to be a dedicated student; however, they struggle most

when confronted with a topic that they do not immediately understand. When this occurs, student

number one has a tendency to shut down, occasionally melting down and refusing to participate

any further.

Student number one has an IEP that allows them modifications to written language

assessment, including reading the assessments aloud and more time to test. Outside of that, the

IEP is mostly geared towards behavioral deficits associated with their Autism Spectrum

Disorder, especially in regards to shutting down when success is not immediately achieved. The

student is noted to perform better when clear verbal and written notes are given, and it is one of

their accommodations to have notes provided if they are over two paragraphs in length.

In the event that this student was in one of my band classes, I could do the following

things to accommodate them: 1.) provide parts that are less complicated and easier to read, 2.)

differentiate by providing more opportunities for rote music learning, rather than making the

student constantly attempt to read, 3.) being generally positive and encouraging to help avoid

shut downs/episodes and to encourage self-accountability and self-regulation of work ethic and

emotional response.

Ultimately, the student’s IEP would be my main guide. I would also reach out to the

Special Education team, the student’s other teachers, and the student’s parents to receive advice

on specific strategies that work to encourage the student’s learning and continued regulation of

behavior.