NAfME collegiate student Inclusive Music Education:
Bridging the Gap Selena Esquivel, UW-Whitewater
Throughout my high school and current college career, I have had numerous experiences that have shown me that the field of music education lacks the knowledge for ac- commodating stu-
dents with disabilities. I was first made aware of this issue during high school. I volunteered to help teach lessons to the upcoming fifth graders over the summer. One student in that group was blind and eager to learn how to play clarinet. My band director did not have any experience teaching an instrument to a student who was blind and had even tried to encourage the student to play trumpet since there is less finger work involved. However, the student was determined to play clarinet and struggled to stay motivated because he could not match the pace of his peers. Despite the encouragement from myself and the band director, the student quit after a year. He lacked the appropriate accom- modations that would have allowed him to succeed in the path he was so excited to take. It was then that I began to realize that something needed to change.
After attending UW-Whitewater for al- most a year, I discovered that inclusive music education is extensive and detailed enough to be a separate program focused on students with any type of disability, surpassing the more generalized strate- gies we had time to learn in the music methods coursework. Realizing that the gap in inclusive music education extended into music education programs, I decided to add a special education minor. It is my personal philosophy that everyone should be able to pursue their passion for music without having to worry about barriers. I have only started on my journey to help bridge the gap in music education for
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students with disabilities. Here is what I have learned so far.
In 1975, the Education for All Handi- capped Children Act was passed. This act required that public schools provide equal access to education for children with disabilities. In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was passed to ensure free, appropriate public educa- tion to children with disabilities and that special education and related services are provided. While these acts have been successful in supporting students with disabilities in most classes, there is still a gap in inclusive music education. So, the question is, how can we as music educa- tors and future music educators bridge this gap? A good place to start is by doing research, whether you have a student with a disability in your classroom or not. There are numerous research articles that provide ways to accommodate students with dis- abilities. However, the best way to accom- modate these students is by asking them what they need to succeed. Students know their disability the best. The next best people to ask are their paraprofessionals, special education teachers, and parents.
I decided that two good places for me to start bridging the gap was by minoring in special education and conducting my own research. At the end of my freshman year of college, I created a research poster on accommodations for teaching general music to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the Jour- nal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2004), children with ASD have severe impairment in several areas of development, such as social interaction and communication. They have shown to have more sensitivity and attentiveness to music over spoken word and frequently demonstrate high levels of musical abili- ties compared to typical children. Music educators can use these natural musical
“How can we as music educators and future music educators bridge this gap?”
skills to highlight their abilities instead of their disability. When music teachers are asked to teach self-contained autism classrooms, most have no support or train- ing. These educators tend to rely on rote learning to teach music skills. However, this method leads to difficulties for autistic children who respond differently to imi- tation than their peers. Since autism is a spectrum, there is not one single method that is best for all children with ASD. Therefore, it is recommended that music teachers are patient when it comes to imi- tation. Besides imitation, there are also a variety of music education strategies, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System, repetition, and movement. Teach- ers can help autistic students by giving them more time and using a task analysis to break down information into steps.
I am currently researching how to create an inclusive instrumental ensemble for students who are blind. So far, I have compiled a short review of literature upon which my future research will be based. Pino and Viladot (2019) concluded their study saying that teaching-learning sources lie at the core of inclusive teach- ing in the music classroom in terms of music notation. Gilbert’s study examined the inclusive experience of a visually im- paired student who actively participated in his school’s music ensembles. This student figured out multiple accommo- dations and strategies as he progressed and experienced being in ensembles. He also received accommodations from his
September 2021
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