Smiling,
sociable, and often both musically interested and adept, persons with Williams
Syndrome (WS) have only recently been recognized as a distinct group of people
with specific abilities that differentiate them from others with disabilities. To investigate these abilities, 16
individuals with WS were identified and asked to participate in a 10-day
residential summer program called Music
& Minds. The Music & Mind
program was based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), a talent
development model usually implemented in programs for the gifted and
talented (Renzulli, 1977, 1994;
Renzulli & Reis, 1985; 1997) that provides enrichment experiences for
students focusing on individual learning styles, prior experiences, patterns of
talent development, and educational needs.
Music & Minds was designed
to provide appropriate enrichment experiences based on the specific strengths,
talents, as well as interests of the participants, since research studies in a
variety of fields have shown that learning is more productive and enjoyable
when a person is able to work in an area of his or her own selection (Bloom
1985; Renzulli 1977; Renzulli & Reis, 1985; 1997; Baum, Renzulli, &
Hebert, 1995). The success of Music &
Minds resulted in a follow-up study during the subsequent summer with 20
participants, including 11 of the original group. In this study, researchers examined
patterns of talent development in music, as well as the efficacy of providing a
talent development summer program to persons with WS (Reis, Schader, Milne,
Stephens, Tieso, Don & Williams, 2002). This article provides a summary of
information about the program, including the enhancement of academic deficits through
the use of an enrichment approach to talent development focusing on the musical
strengths and interests of the participants.
Research
on Persons with Williams Syndrome
Since its
identification in 1961, Williams syndrome (WS), called a “beautiful mystery” by
neurolinguist Ursula Bellugi (Bellugi, 1990), has emerged from obscurity to
fascinate researchers, physicians, educators, and others. This rare congenital disorder is
characterized by a unique pattern of asymmetric abilities that transcends
traditional theories of intelligence and cognitive impairment. In describing an individual with WS from a
father’s point of view, Howard Lenhoff wrote:
“My daughter Gloria, now forty, has a rich lyric soprano voice, and can
play on the full-sized piano accordion, with ease and embellishments, almost
any song she hears. She has a
repertoire of about 2,000 songs and sings in over 20 foreign languages. Yet, like most individuals with WS, she
cannot add 5 + 3 nor can she get along independently” (Lenhoff, 1996, p 10). Unfortunately, persons with WS are only
labeled as disabled, and previous research has focused on their genetic,
medical, linguistic, and psychological deficits. Educational programs have generally been developed to address the
disabilities of this group and therefore, have failed to provide opportunities
for the specific identification and development of the unique musical interests
and talents observed in many persons with WS.
The incidence of WS is
estimated as between 1 in 25,000 or 1 in 20,000 (Bellugi, Lichtenberger, Jones,
Lai & St. George, 2000; Levine, 1998).
WS is evident at birth, occurs in all ethnic groups, affects males and
females equally, and has been reported throughout the world (Pober &
Dykens, 1993). Individuals with WS
typically have cardiovascular abnormalities and short stature (Udwin, Yule,
& Martin, 1987). Einfield and Hall
(1994) described “typical facial appearance, the so-called ‘elfin’ facies, with
an upturned nose, sometimes called retroussé, with a rather bow-shaped
mouth. Abnormal dentition is always
present. A particular iris pattern [in
the eyes] is present in many persons with WS and is described as star shaped or
stellate” (p. 276). Nicholson and
Hockey (1993) reported that developmental delay was found in 72% of the sample
studied, while 67% displayed significant cardiac murmur, 22% had reduced
peripheral circulation, 50% showed mild musculoskeletal abnormalities, 33%
experienced recurrent urinary symptoms, and children in the sample were less
obese than adults. Flint and Yule
(1994) indicated that WS belongs to a group of conditions that are not
characterized by a single behavioral anomaly.
However, certain deficits are present sufficiently often to suggest that
their origin lies in a common biological disorder. Characteristics reported for WS may include psychiatric disorders
with symptoms including anxiety, hyperactivity, preoccupations, inappropriate interpersonal
behaviors including indiscriminate affection, sleep disturbance, and
hyperacusis (sensitivity to noise) (Einfeld, Tonge, & Florio, 1997).
Cognitive
and Musical Abilities of Persons with WS
Reported
cognitive abilities for this population are described as severe to borderline
intellectual impairment when measured by IQ tests, with a score range of 40 to
100 and a mean of ≈60 (Lenoff, Wang, Greenberg, & Bellugi, 1997;
Levitin & Bellugi, 1998). Poor
visual-motor and visual-spatial/perceptual abilities (Bellugi, Bihrle,
Jernigan,Trauner, & Doherty, 1990) and limited adaptive skills (Dilts,
Morris, & Leonard, 1990) contribute to the inconsistent academic
achievement profiles of the WS student (MacDonald & Roy, 1988). Subjects in a study by Pagon, Bennett,
LaVeck, Stewart, and Johnson (1987) revealed “serious conceptual failure in
mathematics;” in fact, eight out of nine could not correctly answer how many
pennies made a nickel (p. 90). Bellugi, Klima, and Wang (1996) documented
individual difficulties in the areas of number, space, substance, weight, and
quantity. Although individuals with WS generally have below average IQ scores,
many also have unique cognitive profiles characterized by relative strengths in
language and music, which contrast with extremely poor math, visuospatial, and
visuomotor skills (Don, Schellenberg, & Rourke, 1999).
Although many similarities
are found among persons with WS in both physical features and cognitive
profiles, the WS population, like any normal population, has great variability
and diversity in their behaviors and abilities. Because of this complexity, confusion has resulted regarding
educating WS students and few specific services have been provided for them
(Finn, 1991).
It is only
recently that musicality in WS has been a focus of interest for researchers;
however, the love of music has been anecdotally associated with WS from the
time the syndrome was first described.
In an early report delineating the psychological characteristics of the
syndrome, each child was noted to be musical (von Arnim & Engel,
1964). In another early case study,
music was reported to be the child’s “truest love” (Anonymous, 1985, p.
968). More recently, researchers
initiated both formal and informal studies of music in WS at a week-long summer
music camp for individuals with WS.
Lenhoff (1996), reported that the participants exhibited high interest
and responsiveness to music, facility with complex rhythms, strong lyric
memory, ease with composing, and a higher incidence of absolute pitch than seen
in the normal population. Levitan and Bellugi (1997) noted that while anecdotal
evidence suggests many WS persons have musical abilities, little research has
been done. Their observation of 40 WS
individuals aged 8 to 24 years indicated:
[They displayed] an
unusually high degree of engagement in music.
Music seemed to be not just a very
deep and rich part of their lives, but one that was omnipresent; most of them spent a great portion of the
day singing to themselves or playing instruments even while walking to the mess
hall. (p. 15)
Don et al. (1999) used standardized
tests of melodic and rhythmic discrimination as well as structured interviews
to assess music skills of 19 children with WS (8 to 13 years). In contrast to earlier studies of WS
students, these children were not selected for their musical skills or
interests. Results showed that music
skills in the WS participants were at levels expected for vocabulary age when
compared with chronological peers.
Tonal discrimination was equivalent to the control group, but rhythmic
discrimination, though within expectation for receptive vocabulary age, was
poorer. Musicality in the WS group was
expressed through higher interest in music and greater emotional response to
music, being made both happy (100% vs. 84%) and sad (79% vs. 47%) more often
than the control children. Thus, as
parents and clinicians have reported, music is an area of special interest and
affinity in many persons with WS. Even
though persons with WS have both motor problems and difficulty with
coordination, they appeared to experience less difficulty in those areas when
playing their musical instruments (Levitan & Bellugi, 1998).
Any discussion
of the musical abilities of persons with WS is fraught with the same lack of
consensus that Boyle (1992) described in his evaluation of music ability in
“normal” populations, as it is
difficult to find an agreed-upon definition of musical talent. Research by
Gardner (1983) described musical intelligence as one of a group of eight
related intelligences, defined by eight criteria: (1) the potential isolation by brain damage; (2) the existence of idiots savants and
prodigies; (3) identifiable core
operations such as the sensitivity to pitch, and rhythm relations; (4) a
developmental history that leads to expert performance; (5) an evolutionary
history; (6) support from experimental
psychological tasks; (7) support from
psychometric findings; (8) the ability
to encode the information with which an intelligence deals in a symbol system (p. 108).
Using Enrichment Opportunities for
Persons with WS.
The conceptual framework of Music & Minds was based on
components of the Schoolwide Enrichment
Model, a gifted education/talent development approach (SEM) (Renzulli, 1994; Renzulli & Reis,
1985, 1997). Of the numerous documented
approaches to enrichment (Clark, 1992; Davis & Rimm, 1994; Renzulli, 1986),
the SEM is one of the most comprehensive and well researched (e.g., Burns,
1987; Hébert, 1993; Olenchak, 1988; Olenchak & Renzulli, 1989; Renzulli,
1988; Renzulli & Reis, 1994; Schack, Starko, & Burns, 1991). The underlying theory of SEM is Renzulli’s
(1978) three-ring conception of giftedness, focusing on the development of
three interrelated clusters of traits (above average ability, task commitment,
and creativity) as applied to a particular area of interest or talent. The SEM model encourages creative
productivity in young people by exposing them to a variety of topics, areas of
interest, and fields of study; and to further train them to apply advanced
content, process-training skills, and methodology training to self-selected
areas of interest. Approaching talent
development in this way seemed particularly appropriate for use with persons
with WS, who demonstrated interest in music but also required educational
adaptations in other areas.
The SEM has three major
components: (a) analyzing students’ talents, interests, and learning styles to
identify patterns; (b) modifying curriculum to address unique interests,
abilities, and styles; and (c) providing a series of planned enrichment
opportunities based on the Enrichment Triad (Renzulli, 1977), such as exposing
students to a wide variety of disciplines, topics, occupations, hobbies,
persons, places, and events that would not ordinarily be covered in a regular
school curriculum. Other enrichment opportunities suggested in the SEM include
opportunities to develop thinking and feeling processes, and the pursuit of
self-selected interests. At Music & Minds, students were
introduced to many different enrichment activities related to music such as
performances by visiting artists and opportunities to try a variety of
instruments, and those who became interested in specific areas were able to
pursue those areas. For example, five
participants who were interested in music composition learned to use computer
composition programs and wrote their own music.
Some evidence
has documented the effectiveness of enrichment programs with students with
disabilities (Baum & Owen, 1988; Baum, Renzulli & Hébert, 1995; Reis,
Gentry & Park, 1995), and other research has described various musical talents
within the WS population (e.g., Levitan & Bellugi, 1998). This combination
of research suggests that using enrichment opportunities and talent development
approaches in interest areas may be a powerful motivator for learning and for
addressing disabilities. The absence of a systematic approach to consider how
to develop interests and talents in persons with WS that takes into account
both their strengths and limitations may have placed this group at an
educational and occupational disadvantage. Music
& Minds was designed to investigate what happens when a talent
development program based on interests, strengths and learning styles is
implemented for young adults with WS.
This comparative cross-case study
(Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993; Miles & Huberman, 1994;
Yin, 1994), employed descriptive analysis using data from an intensive music
talent development program, including background data from participants’
preschool, elementary, and secondary schools, and post secondary
education. This study explored the
familial, developmental, social, and educational experiences of young adults
with WS and examined the use of components of the SEM as an approach to
providing talent development experiences for persons with WS. Miles and Huberman (1994) indicated: “One aim of studying multiple cases is to
increase generalizability. At a deeper
level, the aim is to see processes and outcomes across many cases .and thus to
develop more sophisticated descriptions and more powerful explanations”
(p.172). It was hoped that composites
of a number of case studies would result in descriptors of common
characteristics in young persons with WS who are interested in music and lead
to better information about how they can increase their skills and proficiency
in both academics and music.
Case study
methodology is also appropriate when researchers attempt to describe contextual
conditions (Yin, 1994) and to compare and contrast case studies. The comparative case study approach has been
suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994), Merriam (2001) and Yin (1994) as an appropriate
methodology for in-depth study of a number of cases in order to make analytical
generalizations (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Miles & Huberman, 1994). For example, previous information on persons
with WS suggests that music may be a powerful motivator for both enhancing
learning and addressing disabilities. The following research questions guided
this study.
1. How many of the participants were musically
able and what patterns emerged, if any, in the home experiences, early lessons,
and parental support of these participants?
2. What were the participants’ reported
learning and product style preferences, interests, and perceptions of strengths
and weaknesses in both music and academic areas?
3. Did the use of an enrichment/talent
development approach based on talents and strengths in an area of interest
(music) result in achievement score gains in a deficit area (fractions)?
4. Will an enrichment/talent
development approach using specific instructional strategies, based on
preferences, interests and styles, provide a useful framework for talent
development and educational experiences to use with persons with WS?
.
Data Collection and Analysis
Erlandson et al. (1993) advocated
gathering qualitative data from a variety of sources in a variety of ways, and
in this study, data were collected in five phases. Phase one occurred as appropriate participants applied and were
accepted into the program. Following
notification of acceptance, sets of preliminary questionnaires were distributed
to collect basic demographic, historical, and interest data from participants
and their parents. These questionnaires included information such as
participants’ ages, school experiences, interests, health information and a
series of questions about musical background.
Phase two followed the return of the preliminary questionnaires
and involved an extended, semi-structured telephone interview with parents of
participants using an interview protocol. These taped recorded interviews
lasted from one and a half hours to two hours and were later transcribed. Parents were asked about a wide variety of
topics, including birth, early years, age at identification for WS, parental
and family demographics, and extensive information about preschool, elementary,
secondary, and post secondary education.
Familial, developmental, social, and musical experiences were also
probed. In this way, the first two
phases involved the collection of status information and collation of
documentation as well as archival sources of evidence (Yin, 1994). It was at this point that the construction
of the rich case studies began, coinciding with planning for the curricular and
extracurricular experiences in the Music
& Minds program. It should be
noted, however, that although the resulting daily program activities were
scheduled, they were not fixed. As
there were faculty and staff with the participants around the clock throughout
the 10 days, opportunities were available to change methods of instruction
along with planned events and personal schedules.
Phase three focused on data
collection at the research site as the case studies were further
developed. Daily direct participant
observation and the completion of a number of questionnaires by both
participants and instructors addressed the preliminary questions guiding this
study, as well as other emerging questions (Yin, 1994). Instruments described
below were administered to participants during the first two days of the study.
Some items were read to those participants whose reading levels were not
sufficiently high to enable independent completion. Daily open-ended and
focused interviews (recorded and written) were also conducted to explore and
elaborate specific issues as they emerged (Yin, 1994) with questions about
participants’ reactions to their daily lessons in music and math. Participants
also completed a brief reflection journal about their experiences each day
focusing on what they had enjoyed and their reactions to lessons, classes,
academic and social experiences. Direct
observations were also videotaped daily in both music and mathematics
classes. Participants were encouraged
to discuss relevant artifacts (music written in composition class or a good
grade on a quiz about fractions) and participants written responses were
elaborated (Yin, 1994).
SPSS
(1997; Kinnear & Gray, 1994; Norusis, 1990) was used to obtain means and
standard deviations for responses to the Likert items on the instruments.
Phase four constituted
transcription and investigation of previously collected data along with the
collection of follow-up data to confirm or explore issues that emerged during
the previous phases. Field notes, and a
reflexive journal recording the researchers’ reactions, and descriptions of
events in the study were maintained as part of the audit trail to facilitate
triangulation and cross validation from the methods and sources (Erlandson, et
al., 1993) in addition to follow-up interviews with some staff and instructors.
Comprehensive case studies were then completed on each participant. Phase five
included the corroboration of initial findings and continued data analysis
during a second program of Music &
Minds the following summer to which a majority first year participants
returned.
Coding and analysis of case
study data began with the commencement of phase one and continued until the
conclusion of the second summer program.
Formal coding involved: (a) open
coding, involving data sorting for comparison and contrasting to facilitate
conceptualization and categorization; (b) axial coding, involving weighing and
contrasting categories to identify descriptive relations among them; and (c)
selective coding, in which the core category was selected and systematically
related to the other. Triangulation,
using a number of sources, was used to support objective validity claims,
clarify meaning, and verify perceptions for individual case studies, and cross
case analyses (Carspecken, 1996; Erlandsen et al., 1993; Yin, 1994). Individual case studies were compared and
contrasted, core categories identified, and research questions discussed.
In this study, the accuracy of the
observations was enhanced by the use of multiple perspectives. Because of the
range of backgrounds and training of the faculty and staff, the observations,
interviews and field notes were continually questioned and critically analyzed
by team members. This enabled the researchers to examine and clarify
information. In addition, photography and video were used to document and study
specific situations and/or settings. To
further increase trustworthiness, all researchers kept journals during
fieldwork, and daily de-briefing meetings were scheduled among researchers to explore
ideas and conduct data checks.
Instrumentation
Instruments
used during Music & Minds were
either developed or adapted from enrichment programs and used to identify
interests and learning styles preferences in young people. The Music & Minds Talent Development
Participant Interview Protocol (Reis, Milne, Schader & Shute, 1998) and The
Music & Minds Talent Development
Parent Interview Protocol (Reis & Schader, 1998) were used to gather
preliminary data about participants’ interests, medical and educational
backgrounds, skills and attitudes, learning profiles, career preferences and
other pertinent information about enrichment opportunities, social skiils,
recreation and hobby choices and employment experiences. The Learning Styles
Inventory (LSI) (Renzulli, Smith,
& Rizza, 1997), a 65 item instrument used to assess participants’
preferences in learning styles such as projects, independent study, drill and
simulation, was selected to provide information on learning preferences that
would facilitate the selection and development of educational strategies. “The Secondary Interest-A-Lyzer” (SI) (Hébert,
Sorenson, & Renzulli, 1997) includes 25 items that provide an opportunity
to probe interests in a variety of areas. “My Way...An Expression Style
Inventory” (MWESI) (Kettle, Renzulli, & Rizza, 1998) assesses preferences
for styles of products, such as visual, verbal, musical options using 50 items
that are scored to provide a profile of 10 separate expression styles such as
written, oral, artistic, or audio-visual. Questions are asked about preferences
in doing tasks such as “helping in the community” (service), or talking about
my experiences (oral), or role-playing a character (dramatization), or
performing music (musical). These instruments have been used in enrichment
programs for decades, have been revised
during the last ten years, and have high reported validity and reliability
(Renzulli, Smith & Rizza, 1997; Kettle, Renzulli, & Rizza, 1997). In
addition to these instruments, anecdotal reports, checklists, and daily
questionnaires were used to collect information to develop appropriate
programming for the participants.
Limitations
The selection of participants may not be a
representative sample of persons with WS and therefore limits the findings. One
purpose of qualitative research is to provide descriptions of individuals, and
generalizablity of findings is not the intended outcome. Techniques discussed
by Marshall and Rossman (1989) were used to establish the trustworthiness of
this study. For example, additional
researchers from the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
(NRC/GT) played “devil’s advocate” to question critically the project
researchers’ analyses and to identify negative instances. Researchers checked
and rechecked the data, conducted purposeful testing of rival hypotheses, asked
questions of the data, and conducted an audit of the data collection and
analytic methods.
Participants
A
purposive sample of eight female and eight male young adults with WS described
in Table 1 was selected for the Music
& Minds program in the first summer and 11 of these participants
returned during the second summer.
Advertisements for the program were placed in WS Association
publication, and applicants were screened to ensure they satisfied the age
criteria and had previous established interests in music. Educational
Psychology professors at the National Research Center for Gifted Education and
Talent Development at the University of Connecticut, with feedback from members
of the Williams Syndrome Association, selected participants for the program. In
this study, musical ability was operationally defined as “the ability to
understand and improvise in music, as well as the high level of skills, both
potential skill areas and those present that can be developed in music.” Two
sub-samples of ‘high’ and ‘low’ performing persons were identified from this
group based on music ability. Three music professors and seven music
professionals including music teachers and graduate student in music designated
all participants as having either high- or low musical intelligence as defined
by Gardner (1993).
Insert
Table 1 about here
The Music
& Minds Program Structure
The Music & Minds Program was designed
by educational psychology professors specializing in gifted and talented education
in collaboration with faculty in music, drama, and creative movement. In addition, allied health and physical
therapy professors analyzed physical limitations, and developed individualized
plans for increased mobility and physical fitness in the participants. The
eighteen member staff included four professors, five graduate assistants, seven
music students at the master’s level, one nurse, and an administrative
assistant. Daily classes in chorus,
general music, individual instrument or voice, movement, and math using music
enrichment to increase proficiency in fractions were part of the multi-faceted
program. Only the choir was taught as a
whole group. Creative movement classes, which focused on expression and fluidity,
were taught in three sections of five
or six students at a time. Computer skills and percussion ensemble were
selected by groups of three to five students. Although most instrumental and
voice lessons were individual, several duos were also established.
The content of the math curriculum taught during Music & Minds included identifying
equivalent fractions, understanding components of fractions, and practical
applications to time, money, measurement, musical notes, and objects. Teaching of fractions was tied to daily
living and music rather than taught theoretically or in isolation. Two daily
math sessions (AM and PM) were held for a total teaching time in mathematics of
80 minutes per day over a period of five days (6 hours 40 minutes total
teaching time). Music was used both as an instructional methodology and
learning tool for learning fractions; a drum set and piano were present in the
classroom and were used by instructors, guest artists, and participants
throughout the program.
Evenings and
weekend enrichment activities included drama, an in-house musical night-club,
field trips, and social opportunities.
Participants were housed in single sex dormitory double rooms and ate
meals in the university cafeteria with hundreds of students their age who were
attending other university summer programs and classes. Music
& Minds concluded with a public performance reflecting these program
goals.
The
major findings for this study are organized by a discussion of the core
categories identified through data analysis, two case studies of participants,
and findings related to the research questions.
Core Categories
The core
category emerging from data analysis in this study was the focus on deficits
with little or no attention dedicated to talents, interests and strengths in
school for all of the participants in this study, as well as the influence of
these experiences on participants’ self-awareness and self-perceptions. A related category was the difficulty in
finding a “place” where young adults with WS fit into school, home and/or
community, as most participants explained that they were lonely at home and
that what they loved most about Music
& Minds was finding a community of true peers.
The
first core category emerged as all participants explained, and parents
confirmed, that their academic deficits were the focal point of most of their
education. Participants reported that
on only very rare occasions, in their many years of education at the preschool,
elementary, secondary or post-secondary level, did any teacher or adult discuss
any of their strengths, interests, or talents. Instead, participants and
parents explained that their deficits and limitations were consistently the
focus of school interactions. Over half of the participants explained the
frustrations they experienced regarding their inability to participate in music
opportunities in school due to the special education focus of their educational
experiences. This finding was ironic as a clear finding in this study was that
the use of musical enrichment and advanced training in music was found to both
enhance all participants’ understanding of mathematics and to provide
opportunities to further develop their talents in music.
Thirteen
of the participants discussed their awareness of other peoples’ perceptions of
them as “unique, different, special people” who experienced a range of
disabling conditions. Participants usually reported that other people regarded
them as having at least one or two disabling conditions and one or two were
mentioned by each participant, including heart problems, high blood pressure,
lazy eye, the habit of walking differently from others, inability to run fast,
problems with balance, poor depth perception, rocking, hyperacusis, epileptic
seizures, negative reactions to smoke, and needing to sleep with a natural
noise machine.
Each
participant reported that they had poor to low skills in math, the content area
they consistently mentioned as their greatest academic weakness. Every participant realistically appraised
his/her strengths, indicating verbal abilities, affinity for and potential in
music, caring personalities, love for other people, and a desire to help and to
make the world a better place. Bart’s
explanation was representative of what most all other participants also said,
“I love to help others and I live to make a difference in the world.” Five
participants said they had problems with their bodies, 12 reported that they
knew they were regarded as having a disability, and 6 clearly stated that in
order to have a happy life, they had to learn to live with WS, ignore it, and
be happy.
A
second core category that emerged was the difficulty these young people had in
finding a “place” where young adults with WS fit into school, home and
community. Most participants explained that they were lonely at home and that
what they loved most about Music &
Minds was finding a community of true peers. Every participant became aware
that during this summer enrichment program, they had formed a recognizable
“family” of peers. They all loved their biological families, but they also
found a new family within Music &
Mind. Liza’s insightful comment may provide an explanation of why these
participants enjoyed their interaction with each other, “it was hard to be with
people who treat you as special and different”.
Case Studies
The two case studies below help to illustrate
findings about the experiences of these unique young adults.
Charles
Charles
is 24 years of age and is part of a large family, with loving grandparents and
a younger brother, in addition to many cousins, aunts, and uncles. His mother has a college degree, an
incomplete postgraduate degree in cytogenetics, and currently works as a
property manager. Charles’ father has a
college degree in psychology, and is vice president of a life insurance
company. Charles’ birth was difficult,
but normal. He was first recorded as
being developmentally delayed at six months and he had heart problems that were
not initially diagnosed. Growing up,
Charles had numerous physical challenges; he often fell from bicycles, and was
clumsy in most physical activities.
Charles
was diagnosed with WS when he was two years old. Once identified, he was referred to a nearby association with an
early intervention program. He attended
this program for four days a week for three years. He next attended a local kindergarten where he began special
physical and occupational therapy that continued until he was twelve years old. Since the local middle school had no
appropriate program for students with special needs, Charles was enrolled in a
self-contained special education school in a nearby town where he stayed until
he was 21 years old. At school, he
participated in transition and work-skills programs that involved daily living
skills training, including work off campus one day a week. In school, Charles performed poorly in
mathematics, and hated all work sheets.
He still has difficulty writing and solving numerical problems. He can count to one thousand, and sort music
tapes and cassettes by musical category, having developed the latter skill
while working at a music store. He
tells time with and without a clock; explaining, “it is a rhythm thing.” When shopping, Charles dislikes handling
change, so he accumulates it until his bills run out. His reading skills are quite good. He enjoys reading The Hardy Boys books, Scottish novels, British
heritage books and magazines, and romances, especially if the cover presents “a
guy in a kilt.” He likes enthusiastic
teachers who are “in sync,” and says he learns best by hearing and doing. Throughout his schooling, he received help
from his parents, particularly his mother.
He is organized, cooperative, friendly, and cheerful, and has a strong
Christian background. His mother
explained that she particularly appreciates the way he quietly brings her
coffee, and does small jobs around the house such as opening the shades in the
morning.
From the age of three, Charles
demonstrated his musical talent by singing “Sesame Street” songs in both English
and Spanish. He has had access to a
piano from a very young age. When he
was six years old, his cousin gave him a Pavarotti record, and Charles began to
play along on the piano prior to receiving any formal lessons. At age seven, he received tickets to a
professional opera performance and both he and his mother recall that tears of
joy and sadness poured down his face throughout the two-hour performance. Both Charles’ mother and father took music
lessons as children and his mother helped him with his music. Traditional music lessons were not
successful because he learned by ear rather than by reading music. He has demonstrated perfect pitch, and has
developed the ability to follow musical notation once he has heard the music
played. “He relates to the ups and
downs of print,” his mother explained.
Charles was not offered music at school until his mother began lobbying
for him to have an opportunity to do what he loved. At age 13 he began regular drum lessons, and later became a full
member of a local Scottish Pipe Marching Band, where he has been promoted to
(snare) drummer first class. He plays
his instruments (snare drum, piano, keyboard, bagpipe chanter, and saxophone)
for at least two to three hours a day, and listens to his records, CDs, and tapes
for at least four hours. Over 90% of
his tapes are Scottish music and he knows all the details of each tape. He enjoys opera, country, jazz, and Scottish
music as well as listening to Elvis Presley.
Charles loves creating his own music, but seldom replays or records
it. He has attended several years of
summer music camps at the one place a summer program has been held for this
population.
Charles
is very sociable, and enjoys the company of others, chatting, going places, and
he continues to attend annual reunions at his special school. He is able to initiate and maintain
conversations that are well beyond his own interest areas. Charles also enjoys listening to his police
scanner, where he hears details about various crimes and other events. He explains he “swims like a rock,” and
hates to get his face wet. He loves
watching hockey and basketball, as well as playing roles in the annual summer
theater program in a nearby city, where he is an enthusiastic performer, often
getting a lead role. A minister at
Charles’ church began a once a week social hour at a nearby senior center
nursing home where Charles flourished as voluntary Master of Ceremonies,
singer, storyteller, and companion for several years. Charles recently completed a three-year residential post
secondary program focusing on independent living skills. Although he explains that “music is my
life,” his mother and he both reported that no opportunities were available to
study or even play music during this 3-year program. He currently can play over
1,000 musical selections on his keyboard and will respond to almost any request
category such as "Could you play a song about spring" by giving
several options. If the name of the
song can not be provided, he will ask for cues, such as the first few notes (by
singing or humming) and then he can play what he perceives (usually correctly)
to be the song. At this time, employment possibilities for Charles are scarce
and his family worries about what might be available for him as he grows older
regarding both living arrangements and occupational pursuits.
Marie
Marie’s
mother describes her daughter as friendly, caring and outgoing. A tall, happy young woman, Marie loves to
dance, perform and sing. Marie is 23
years old, has an older brother and sister, and a stepfather who adores her.
Her older sister is also disabled and lives in a group home. Marie’s mother
confided that, because of the fears she had about Marie’s older sister’s
disability, she was anxious throughout her pregnancy with Marie. Marie was
delivered by Cesarean section and had some problems at birth including heart
irregularity and breathing problems; this improved within a few weeks and Marie
has not had major heart surgery, as has been required by so many other young
people with Williams. Marie’s father
and mother divorced when she was very young and her stepfather entered her life
when she was ten. Her mother has a college degree and a graduate degree in
social work. Her stepfather has a graduate degree in business and is an executive
with a pharmaceutical company. The family is financially well-established and
Marie has had many opportunities, resources, and a great deal of encouragement
to develop her talents.
Marie
was identified as having WS when she was 18 months old. At that time it had
become apparent to her mother that she was delayed in both physical as well as
intellectual tasks. Marie’s mother sought help from the Genetics Clinic at UCLA
where data about Marie, including photographs, were sent throughout the medical
system resulting is a positive diagnosis of Williams. Marie began an infant
intervention program that included sensory stimulation, speech therapy and
occupational therapy. She began walking at about two and a half years, she said
her first word at two, but her speech was delayed. When she did talk, she had
good vocabulary, but poor comprehension and abstract reasoning. When she was
three years old, she attended a regular preschool in her neighborhood where she
played with other children and practiced normally appropriate skills such as
the alphabet, numbers, and working in learning centers. She stayed in that
preschool until the age of five, at which time she entered a public
kindergarten. There was no special education pull-out program at the school and
personnel discussed sending Marie to a special education facility. Her mother
refused to accept the school analysis of what having WS meant; that, for
example--Marie would not be able to master many basic skills. “I did not
perceive Marie’s identification as having Williams syndrome meant there was an
inherent limit on what she could accomplish, “ her mother explained.
Despite
the teachers continued perception that learning would be a challenge for her,
Marie maintained a very high self-concept. During elementary school she
attended regular classes and was pulled out for special education resource room
time, which included basic skills remediation in reading. Reading continued to
be difficult for her and her mother finally decided to teach her to read at home
after realizing that the schools would not be able to meet her needs. She
purchased a recorded set of stories with accompanying books that included
phonics instruction. Marie’s mother read books to her daily and worked on
reading with her every evening. She also hired high school students and other
young people to read and work with Marie until she could read independently.
Currently Marie reads “all the time” and her reading level exceeds ninth
grade. She loves non-fiction,
magazines and also enjoys romance novels. “She is never without a bag of
books,” her mother explained.
The
pull-out resource room program lasted until Marie went to middle school and
then she was put in a special education class along with youngsters who had
Down’s syndrome and other disabilities. Her mother insisted that she attend
other classes with students who were not disabled and she went to music, art
and physical education classes that were mainstreamed for all students. As she
was usually the highest functioning student in the class, she generally felt
different from other students. Her mother explained that she felt great
compassion for all of the other students who were all functioning at lowered
levels and was depressed when they were made fun of or teased. She also looked
for opportunities to “hang out with the regular kids”, explained her mother,
because she knew she was different from the children with more severe
disabilities. She never really belonged with either group. After finding her
crying on the staircase at home after school on more than one occasion, Marie’s
mother decided that she had to intervene to make school more enjoyable. Marie
told her mother she was made fun of by the middle school students and teased
unmercifully. Her mother made a very difficult decision and sent Marie to a
private residential school. The private school was for students with severe
learning disabilities and Marie flourished there for two and a half years. It
was an environment of hands-on learning, with a great deal of time spent on active
learning experiences. Marie’s skills improved in all areas and she really
enjoyed the learning process. She even improved in math, which was the first
time her mother believed she had made progress in math. This was also the first
time that attention was paid by school personnel to Marie’s interest and talent
in music, which had previously been nurtured by her parents but not
particularly by the schools.
Marie
liked the private school where she flourished academically, but she did miss
her parents. Unfortunately, in eighth grade, she had a negative encounter with
a staff member that was so painful that her parents immediately withdrew her
and brought her home. Marie needed a great deal of reassurance and love and
attention to overcome the pain associated with this episode. Her parents
decided to enroll her in the local public high school in which she registered
for all regular classes. She needed support and help in most classes which she
received from a learning disabilities resource teacher, but managed to earn
grades of B and C in most of her classes, which were modified for her special
needs. Her parents were very proud of her adjustment and loved having her home.
She continued to participate in various high school opportunities including
clubs and music classes throughout her public high school experience. She also
worked part-time in Pizza Hut throughout high school and after school. For six
years she worked in the kitchen at a pizza restaurant and she also worked
part-time as a nurse’s aide in a senior citizens’ home.
Marie’s
mother wanted her to be able to continue her education after high school and
she enrolled in a midwestern university where she took two music classes, dance
classes and drama classes. She stayed for two semesters and was able to survive
in the new atmosphere because her mother hired a personal assistant to help her
with all of the new issues she was facing, such as how to use a cafeteria line
and how to find her classes. However, Marie knew she was different. Other
students did not accept her as a peer and she began feeling lonely and isolated
again. She came home on weekends and her mother soon learned that Marie wanted
her to take her out to buy groceries because she was not eating in the
cafeteria since she felt different. “I am so tired of everyone looking at me. I
don’t want to eat in the cafeteria because I have no one to eat with.” Soon
after, Marie came home from that university.
Currently,
Marie is involved in a special college program for students with special needs
where she lives in a dorm and is fully independent from her family. She is
happy in this environment and hopes to develop the skills necessary to work in
an independent job at some point in the future. Marie spends two days a week in
special classes in budgeting and child development and three days a week in job
training. She has worked in a hospital emergency room and hopes to try a job in
a music store that she thinks she will love.
She
is also better at math than some other participants, but did not do any college
math classes. Marie loves music and her parents noticed her love of music at a
very early age and continued to nurture and develop her talents in this area.
Her mother purchased a piano for her and she started taking Suzuki violin in
second grade. She was continuously exposed to music, taken to concerts,
encouraged to practice and sing, and was able to count on her mother driving
her to practice and paying for lessons. Her mother insisted that music be a
part of every educational experience she had and in the private school she
attended in New York State, Marie starred in plays and was in the chorus. The
schools she attended before going to private schools had not provided many
musical experiences. Marie’s mother
indicated that she had been “adamant that music had to be part of the
curriculum” so more opportunities were created for Marie than she would have
had if her mother had not been such an assertive advocate. Her parents
encouraged her talent by taking her to concerts and community drama
performances. They indicate that she has very good musical abilities in all
areas. She has taken lessons since second grade, can read musical notation, has
perfect pitch, loves to improvise and has excellent rhythmic memory. She does
best with patient teachers who have good energy and are gentle. Since she was
sexually abused, she does not do as well with male teachers until she gets to
know and trust them.
Marie loves Debbie Gibson, and dances, and mimics her
constantly. She loves to be involved with music technology and uses the web
frequently. She enjoys classes in all kinds of music and loves music
appreciation classes. In her music concerts, she frequently stars as the sole
vocalist and loves every opportunity to sing, and be in the public eye in music.
She recently was featured on 60 Minutes and this appearance brought her much
fame in the local neighborhood. Her community is very proud of Marie, according
to her mother. Marie has superb social skills, is independent relative to
personal skills, and is proud of her physical appearance. She has performed
three times professionally for a group called Potential Unlimited in New York,
and won best vocalist in her state in the Very Special Arts Program.
Findings Related to the
Research Questions
The analysis of data from responses to instruments,
parent and participant questionnaires, open-ended and structured interviews,
observations and telephone interview protocols from parents provided insights
into the following research questions.
1. How many of
the participants were musically able and what patterns emerged, if any, in the
home experiences, early lessons, and parental support for these participants?
Our
music professionals identified five participants with high skill and potential
in music, or as demonstrating musical intelligence as defined by Gardner
(1993). Another five participants were
identified as having mid-level skills or potential, and six participants had
low performance or potential. Of the five participants who displayed the
highest levels of musical ability, four had very good reading skills, while
math skills in this group ranged from low to high. These five participants had
similar patterns of strong parental encouragement and consistent opportunities
to both enrich their experiences in music and to develop their musical
talents. Parent and participant reports
found that the participants who had the highest skills in music had been
provided with the most enrichment opportunities as children and adolescents
including attendance at numerous concerts and shows, lessons with appropriate
teachers and the purchase of fine instruments, as well as gifts of music CDs,
tapes and records.
All
16 participants had been involved in music programs sometime in their
childhood, and 11 had been in other chorus or choir groups. Ten participants had received specific
instrument training during in their childhoods, and nine had some experience
with private music teachers, but only five actually participated in sustained
private instruction in music, and these were the participants identified as
having high levels of musical skills.
Data clearly indicated that the parents of all of these musically
talented participants provided early lessons and encouragement in music,
beginning in elementary school, and followed by continuous musical training and
exploration. In addition, the parents
of these more musically accomplished students purchased a variety of
instruments, found the best match of teacher for lessons, and persisted in the
face of resistance when some music teachers had difficulty in trying to teach
music to theses special needs students who could not read music. Jay’s mother, for
example, indicated that his hearing and understanding of sound was so intense
that his parents purchased the finest instrument they could for him as he began
to excel in the clarinet. Charles’ mother drove him over an hour each way twice
a week when she found a music teacher who understood his needs and the
startling fact that he could not read music. While the parents of participants
who were lower in musical performance provided general support, but it was not
necessarily in the form of lessons, instruments, or specific encouragement in
music.
An interesting theme emerged
in our interviews with parents. Ten
parents initially reported that their sons or daughters had demonstrated high
ability in music and said that they had supported these talents; however,
faculty and staff observations during the Music
& Minds program provided insight to what that meant. Our musical staff
identified only five participants as actually having developed high levels of
talents, perhaps because some of the others did not receive the systematic and
appropriate opportunities to develop their talents. For example, several
parents said they supported their child’s musical ability by “buying music
tapes” as if they may have believed that listening to music could increase
musical talents. Five of the parents were quite realistic in their appraisals,
noting that their son or daughter had taken lessons for years but played only
at a slightly above average level. The
majority of parents indicated that their son or daughter displayed an unusual
affinity with and love for music and interpreted this joy in music as an
important factor in the personal happiness that would be achieved in life. “For
my son, life without music is life without heart and joy,” one parent
explained. Parents of eight other participants used language that echoed this
sentiment.
2. What were the participants reported learning and
product style preferences, interests, and perceptions of strengths and
weaknesses in music and in academic areas?
Participants’ responses on the Learning Styles Inventory (Renzulli,
Rizza & Smith, 1998) where a Likert score of 4 is “really like” and a score
of 1 is “really dislike” indicated that their highest instructional preferences
were peer teaching (M=3.32, SD=.29), lecture (M=3.32, SD=.30),
discussion (M=3.28, SD=.43) and projects (M=3.01, SD=.31),
while their lowest preferences were simulations (M=2.67, SD=.44)
and drill (M=2.72, SD=.45). These results supported previous
anecdotal reports confirming the preferences of many persons with WS for
social, verbal, group learning experiences, rather than structured, rigid
activities (Levine, 1997). Individual
responses varied greatly, explaining the standard deviations. For example, Angela had a score of 1.2 and
1.6 on her response to preference for simulation and drill, while Marie
responded with 3.2 and 3.6 for the same items.
The expression styles of the participants on
the 50 item My Way: Expression Style Inventory (in which a Likert score of
5=very interested, 4=interested, 3=moderately interested, 2=of little interest,
and 1=not at all interested) indicated the following group preferences service,
sharing and helping others (M=4.54, SD=.17); oral (M=4.40,
SD= .43), musical (M=4.19, SD=.37), dramatization (M=3.99,
SD=.19), and artistic (M=3.29, SD= .33). The high means
and low standard deviations reflect the group patterns identified in these participants
of strong social orientation and expressiveness. While the mean for music was
high, the larger standard deviation indicated a dispersion of responses and
varying individual interest in music.
Two of the participants with the lowest responses in music were among
the lowest in ability and potential. The lowest group responses for expression
styles were manipulative (M=2.72, SD=.57), technological (M=2.75,
SD=.17), commercial (M=2.76, SD=.48); and written (2.91, SD=.25).
An
analysis of the interests of our participants using the Secondary
Interest-a-Lyzer instrument revealed clear patterns. These persons with WS were
interested in musical activities, socially oriented in their outlook, and
interested in learning about multiple areas, and their responses indicated a
tendency to avoid activities that involved mechanical or mathematical
skills. Nine said that a perfect
opportunity for learning for them would focus on music. Another common response
was their collective and individual concern for others. Eleven participants, when asked to select
topics that would interest them, said that they would like to learn about
issues related to world peace. Eleven
also expressed their interests in knowing more about career opportunities,
reflected their concern about their own lives, as well as the lives of others.
Interestingly, when asked about the type of book they would like to write, 12
participants responded that they would write an autobiography. This is a very uncommon response on this instrument.
Charles wrote, “ I want to tell the world about me.” Sabrina echoed
his remarks, explaining, “ I will write a book about Sabrina, telling everyone who I am.” On one section of this instrument includes
26 items that participants are asked to indicate their interest in doing with a
Likert scale (where a score of 3 =Yes, I would like to do this, 2 = I might be
interested in doing this and 1 =I do not want to do this). As a group, participants were interested in
musical activities, socially and creative in their outlook and interested in
trying new things. Group responses
indicated that they prefer to avoid activities that appear to have a mechanical
or mathematical basis. The activities
they selected most often from this list of 26 were: involvement in a neighborhood
project (M=2.8, SD=.77), photography (M=2.8, SD=.81), and
cartooning (M=2.6, SD=.81).
Their most unpopular activities were studying the stock market (M=1.2,
SD=.89), repairing a car or appliance (M=1.5, SD=.82),
organic gardening (M=1.7, SD=.90) and starting an astronomy
observation group (M=1.7, SD=.95).
On
these instruments and in interviews, participants systematically discussed
their low abilities in math. “I stink
at math and they (my teachers) always told me I just could not do it,” was a
phrase repeated in a slightly different way by every participant. “Math was my
downfall!” Charles exclaimed dramatically.
Participants became visibly upset when they had to take a pretest in
math and the majority expressed their fear of math work. Bill’s math deficit cost him a high school
diploma; he received a Certificate of Attendance when he graduated because
state competency requirements had changed, and algebra was added, which he
explained, “nixed it for him.” The fear
of mathematics was often manifested by an inability to understand money, and
all parents indicated that mismanagement of money would be a major obstacle to
independent living for this group. For
example, Bob’s father worked with him diligently getting him to read a tape
measure, add, and subtract, but Bob seemed unable to understand any abstract
number concepts. He does not manage money well. On one occasion he withdrew a
large amount from his account, and gave it to a “friend.” Sid also had difficulty with math concepts. Even though Sid possessed some basic addition and
subtraction ability, he had no multiplication or division skills. Fractions
were also an area where he indicated little understanding.
In
summary, data from instruments indicated clear patterns but some individual variability
of interests, learning styles and
product styles. Data from parent and
participant interviews, questionnaires, psychological testing, and school
records indicated participants’ below average, but relatively strong verbal
skills such as vocabulary and memory.
By contrast, participants demonstrated notable deficits in math
abilities. Although participants’ math
skills were low, particularly in the area of fractions, they were sometimes
able to accurately use basic arithmetic facts and, to varying degrees, could
add and subtract. However, participants
revealed poor self-concept with regard to math skills and were hesitant about
their ability in this area. Parents reported
that participants lacked basic math skills, and math was rarely applied in
daily living, such as counting change when making a purchase.
3. Did the use of an enrichment/talent
development approach based on talents and strengths in an area of interest
(music) result in achievement score gains in a deficit area (fractions)?
Our research indicated that
94% of the WS participants demonstrated an overall gain in comprehension of
fractional concepts covered during the Music
& Fractions class (Reis, Schader, Milne, Stephens, Tieso & Don,
2002). Sixty-three percent of the
participants achieved a mastery level of .80 and above on the posttest.
Individual participants increased their understanding of the basic mathematical
concepts covered during the Music &
Fractions class as demonstrated by
the gain in their post-test total scores (t = 6.21, p < .001), suggesting
that the use of musical enrichment and advanced training in music was found to
both enhance all participants’ understanding of mathematics.
Perhaps
most important, parent and student post-program interviews indicated that a pattern
emerged of increased confidence with some aspects of math, especially the use
of money and making change. Numerous
parents reported a general improvement in their son’s or daughter's willingness
to problem solve and most parents found that despite some inconsistency of
application, the participants retained a sense of what makes a fraction. One parent explained that his son had
reasoned through fraction problems with parental support where previously he
would not have tried at all. At the
conclusion of the program, 60% of the Music
& Minds participants reported that they were either planning to try
more math classes in school or that they wanted to learn more about fractions.
4. Will an enrichment/talent
development approach using specific instructional strategies, based on
preferences, interests and styles, provide a useful framework for talent
development and educational experiences to use with persons with WS?
Music
& Minds was entirely based on the respect for individual, participants’
interests, learning styles and preferences. Our approach was flexible and we
were willing to try different methods of grouping, teaching and learning
experiences. We provided various types
of enrichment opportunities, such as dances, evening open-microphone nightclubs,
a professional chamber music performance and daily drama activities,
culminating in a self-designed musical performance. The use of musical
enrichment and advanced training in music was found to both enhance all
participants’ understanding of mathematics and to provide opportunities to
further develop their musical talents.
This intensive program resulted in increased skills in both music and
math. From
all accounts, this summer enrichment program radically changed parental and
self-perceptions of the potentials of these students. For example, when parents
arrived on the first day of the program, they provided a list of explicit
instructions for each participant about health, safety and learning
expectations. Within a few days, the
majority of these had changed because of participants’ incremental successes.
After observing his growth in Music &
Minds, Charles’ mother exclaimed with frustration,
If only this could have started when
he was young. No one, ever, in the 18 years in which he was in public school ever asked me about his musical talents
or involved his musical abilities in
his school programming. Even when we told them about the hundreds of songs he
was teaching himself at home and his
efforts at song writing and musical theater, nothing was done to encourage or support this interest
in talent. Why couldn’t they do what you did--try to teach him math by using what he loves most—music?
After
reflecting on his daughter’s success in Music
& Minds, another parent wrote, “Music
& Minds has raised the bar and there will be no return to previous
expectations.” Thee use of an
enrichment-based talent development model such as the Schoolwide Enrichment
Model helped to provide positive learning experiences for this population and
to address deficits and develop musical talents.
Other Findings
Other findings related to a
combination of the core categories and research questions. During Music
& Minds, our participants displayed the empathy, caring, and kindness
frequently mentioned in the literature in this population. Under stressful
conditions such as a loud thunderstorm, nine of our participants used
self-talk, engaged in one-way conversations, and did not appear to be aware of
the non-participation of others. Twelve
demonstrated a clear capacity to understand, befriend, to talk and to
listen. Many staff members had in-depth
meaningful conversations with these participants. For example, one participant used historical analogies to explain
persistence and then added a humorous anecdote concerning an historical figure.
Three participants had difficulty with any conversations because they were very
shy and reserved, while most other participants were extremely outgoing and friendly.
Seven participants appeared to be primarily auditory learners, six were more
visual learners, and others were mixed.
All 16 participants
displayed enthusiasm, empathy, and engagement in learning and living. They also
demonstrated multiple indications of religious belief and a love for God as
well as a desire to participate in organized religious experiences. During the first Sunday of our program,
additional drivers had to be recruited to transport participants to the wide
variety of churches they wanted to attend. Most participants had a joy in their
own spirituality that is difficult to define.
They each seemed to actively enjoy their love for God and their belief
in their own religion. When happy or
excited or moved, several began to sing songs with religious overtones, such as
Amazing Grace and often, after one or
more began a song, the entire group joined in as a chorus.
Another interesting finding related to our
participants’ own comfort level with the identification as persons with
WS. Initially, some of our participants
did not want to align themselves with other persons with disabilities. Three
parents mentioned that their sons or daughters initially did not want to spend
all of their time with other WS participants, explaining that their son or
daughter was high functioning and felt constrained when confined to situations
that only included other WS persons.
Some experiences in which they had been isolated in special education
programs with other more severely disabled persons had caused our participants
to believe that they had been held back either academically or socially. After some time in our program, the
participants became more comfortable with each other as individuals and with
their interactions with our staff and counselors.
These participants were of a
similar age and during Music & Minds,
they lived and worked together.
Eventually they formed a cohesive group and began to enjoy living
together. Some of the more verbal
participants began to interact more regularly, two became engaged to be
married, but later decided they were just friends. As noted, participants had
reasonably accurate appraisals of their abilities when compared to
psychological assessments and school records received for this study. As
indicated in Table 1, participants’ math scores were quite low, and they were
aware of their demonstrated deficiencies in math. In addition to these low scores, however, almost all participants
also had strong and limiting beliefs about their ability to learn, consistently
explaining what they could not do such as:
“I can’t measure, I can’t do fractions”. One participant had acute
physiological reactions to taking a pretest in math, as he sweated profusely,
was extremely nervous and very apologetic:
“I can’t do this at all”.
Attitudes influenced
perceptions, as did routines. Routine
was important to all participants, even if the routine was not especially
conducive to improving a skill. The
need for routine translated into daily living as well, as every participant
demonstrated the need for a pattern in daily schedules for meals, classes, free
time, and group social activities.
Several parents mentioned this need for scheduling before the program
began and a regular schedule was developed, printed and distributed daily. However, some flexibility was built into the
program and it was noted that when changes were made in living skills,
participants were able to adapt to changes, and some of this translated into
learning experiences as well. When a pattern was broken, participants had to
reassemble and begin to learn in a different way.
Participant
impressions related to music varied from realistic appraisals such as: “I’m really not that good at guitar,” to
unrealistic beliefs about levels of talent in music. Some participants had been led by popular press reports to
believe they should have talents in music, but if these talents were present,
they did not become apparent during Music
& Minds. Many participants displayed a love and affinity for music, but
fewer had the developed musical talents than we had been led to believe would
exist within a population of persons with WS.
Discussion
It seems clear that in order to develop programs for this population that include appropriate curriculum
and instruction in music, more information about the preferences, interests,
learning styles and music abilities in persons with WS is essential. Knowledge about how music can be used to
teach academic areas is crucial, as the love and affinity for music in this
population might be used to help address other deficit areas. By offering persons with WS a broad
selection of music and enrichment experiences in a talent development model,
educators may be able to increase the possibility that these individuals will
engage in a wider variety of musical experiences. Teachers may also be able to
enhance understanding of other academic areas, even areas of deficit such as
mathematics with the use of a talent development approach based on strengths,
interests and learning styles.
Three findings from Music & Minds seem important for
educators. The first is the talent
development approach proved to be successful and participants gained skills
both in music and in math, an area of academic deficit. The individual within-syndrome variability
in our group of participants with WS was large, however, and group-described
traits provided in previous research (Dilts, Morris, & Leonard, 1990;
MacDonald & Roy, 1988) were deceptive.
Therefore, individual assessments of each student with WS were essential
and should be periodically conducted to note changes and progress.
The second finding is that
educators should attempt to avoid the usual assessment stance of focusing on
disturbances or negative symptoms in this population. While school psychologists and special education teachers often
have to focus on deficits because of the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
process, positive behaviors, such as enrichment opportunities and talent
development activities can also be used to construct educational plans that
address talents, strengths and interests as well as deficits. Music enhanced mathematical learning and
helped to reduce math deficits in these participants. The use of preferred
activities and interests as well as learning styles and products styles may
help children and adults with WS, and perhaps, with other disabilities. Since teachers who interact with WS children
daily are usually well aware of their deficits, they might profit from
knowledge of their strengths, preferences, and interests.
The third finding of this
study was that most participants were limited by self-held, firm, and sometimes
inaccurate, beliefs about their ability to learn certain skills. Participants consistently told us what they
could not do, and explained that their teachers had told them they could not do
certain things since the day they entered school. Two thirds of our participants were rigid in their ways of doing
things and had difficulty when they tried to alter or break the pattern. “I have always done it this way and I can’t
change.” This rigidity of style also
appeared within music instruction but positive changes did occur during the
course of our enrichment program, perhaps because of the specific teaching strategies
employed in our efforts to better serve this unique population.
Implications for Practice
Findings from Music & Minds suggest the several
implications may be considered in implementing programs for this and perhaps
for other special education populations. While the results of this study cannot
be generalized to others with WS or other students with special needs, they may
be useful to consider. First, we learned that while parents had a realistic
view of academic strengths and deficits, the participants themselves had become
so focused on their deficit areas, that they were reluctant to try to improve
in these areas or to focus on strengths.
However, when academic learning was incorporated into an enriched
strength-based talent development approach to teaching, achievement increased
and enthusiasm for learning was enhanced. Second, parental involvement played a
key role in the development of musical talent in the five participants in this
study who had higher levels of musical ability. Third, surveys focusing on
learning styles, interests, and product style preferences that were developed
for general populations were easily adapted to help to identify and provide
group profiles about the interests, learning styles, and product preferences
for our participants and but individual variability was found. These may prove
useful with other students with disabilities. Fourth, curriculum and learning
experiences were not rigidly planned in advance for this special
population. In Music & Minds, our goal was to develop curriculum around the interests, styles, product
preferences, and abilities of each participant (Renzulli & Reis, 1985;
1997), and this approach worked well. Fifth, differences existed in skills
among participants in this group as some were already extremely independent and
needed to have flexibility and respect for their ability to live as
self-sufficient adults. Others required
much more support and help but, when encouraged, moved towards relative
independence in some areas. Therefore,
prior expectations that are limiting should be avoided. Last, and perhaps most
important, was the joy our participants experienced in an environment based on
a talent development philosophy and this joy may have contributed to improved
deficits in math, increased musical skills, and found another family. In other words, when students enjoyed their
academic and arts experiences, they developed talents and increased their
skills.
Music & Minds was extremely gratifying for both
participants and faculty, but such experiences should extend beyond a 10-day
summer program. By engaging the love
and appreciation for music in persons with WS, their confidence levels
increased as did their performance in math as well as music. The purposeful
development of musical skills and enhancement of musical interests and talents
was found to extend the talent potential and help enrich the lives of these
exceptional persons. While some may believe that the use of this approach is
only possible in a short summer program, the work described in this study
continues, as the experiences of the participants in this study contributed to
the creation of a full-time post-secondary school for persons with disabilities
who also have musical talents and interests. The Berkshire Hills Musical
Academy uses the philosophy of Music
& Minds, and provides talent development experiences based on the
preferences, interests and styles of participants. A faculty member from Music & Minds has become the Dean of
Studies at the school.
Table 1.
Student Demographics for
Date of Birth, Age of Diagnosis, Education Completed, Reading Level, and Math
Level
|
Student |
Date of Birth |
Age of WS Diagnosis |