Thoughts on Inclusion of
Special Learners in Music Karen Salvador
Among the many possible goals of music edu- cation, one of the most important is for every child to make individual progress with regard to musical skills and conceptual knowledge so that they become a more independent musician. This progress toward independent musician- ship looks different in every child, as children start with different abilities and interest levels. However, progress in musicianship is possible for every child, and active music making alone and together with classmates can [and should!] be an important, joyful, playful, and challenging part of every student’s school experience.
Whether you teach in a setting with only a few exceptional students or you are in a building with several self-contained classes of students who have moderate to severe disabilities, it is important to carefully consider how you can meet the individual music learning needs of all students in your classroom.
Sometimes, when considering adapting instruc- tion or modifying curriculum, teachers worry that giving “special treatment” is not “fair” to the other students who do not have those sup- ports. However, to paraphrase Aristotle, it is the worst form of inequality to try to make unequal things equal. It is important to remember that recognition of individual difference is a form of justice—it allows us to create an atmosphere in which individuals are valued and everyone can make progress. Sometimes, a child with disabilities is included in music with the rea- sonable expectation that they would learn the same material as the rest of the class. For these children, we adapt instruction but do not signifi- cantly change instructional goals. Other times, a child is mainstreamed for the opportunity to be with and learn from same age peers. These chil- dren are not expected to learn the same material and therefore, teachers should make significant modifications to curricular goals. In either case, music learning should be the primary goal of in- clusion or mainstreaming in music class, with other goals such as socialization secondary. Le-
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gally and ethically, students with identified dis- abilities must be afforded the same opportunities as all students to benefit from music instruction and to participate in curricular and extracurricu- lar music activities.
Some music teachers state that they prefer not to know who in their classes has been labeled as having a special need. It is true that labels can result in a focus on deficits and that there is sometimes as much variety in behavior and ability within a single diagnostic label as be- tween different labels. However, it is a legal and ethical imperative that all teachers are aware of and follow the contents of Individual Education Programs (IEPs). Therefore, you must find out who in your classes receives special education services and make sure you are familiar with and using applicable portions of their IEP, such as behavior plans.
One way to think about adapting music instruc- tion for students with special needs is using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach. UDL is a strengths-based approach. It considers domains of development [physical, cognitive, social/emotional/behavioral,
communication,
sensory, musical] in terms of strengths and areas for improvement. This allows teachers to make plans for adaptation that can be beneficial to all students. “The key is to look into your planning through the eyes of all your students” (Hou- rigan, 2015, p. 103).
Universal Design for Learning uses three main facets: • Multiple Means of Engagement: This facet describes how we get and keep students attentive and motivated. In music, material should be presented through a variety of modalities: au- ral, kinesthetic, visual, technological, and experiential [note that this builds in repetition, which is important for many students].
• Multiple Means of Representation:
Special Learners
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