Students with disabilities may require specific assistive technology to use their strengths to compensate for a weakness or need caused by the disability, including both "devices" and "services." As a result, teachers need to be able to use and support students while using assistive technology during instruction. Teachers also…

State governments have the purview to interpret federal special education policies as they see fit. Interpretations of these policies to music education rarely are addressed within state special education policy. The authors selected four states to analyze and compare state special education policies; Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia.…

The purpose of this survey study was to investigate the perceptions of music teachers in the state of Wisconsin about their use of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in music classrooms. One hundred seventy-nine music educators completed the survey. Music teachers indicated that many of them do not have access to student IEPs and that…

Music educators are required to support the learning needs of those they teach. Some students may require additional or specific learning supports through individualized education programs (IEPs), also known as individualized education plans, to ensure their academic success. Music educators may struggle to transfer IEP goals, accommodations,…

Inclusion has been a prominent topic in music education since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1974 (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA 2004). In 2000, music educators at the Housewright Symposium presented a list of goals for music education for the year 2020 in a document called…

For many years, students with disabilities were educated in separate facilities on separate campuses from their same aged peers. With the original passing of what we now call the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, these students were, and still are, required to be educated in the least restricted environment. Students with disabilities…

Since the original passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975, students with disabilities are required to have services that are individualized to meet their needs as documented in their Individual Education Program, or IEP. These documents can often be long and determining the implications for students in music classrooms…

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the experiences of two students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a full-inclusion music education context and how those experiences aligned with stakeholder perspectives regarding the role of music education for this population. Three themes emerged from the data: The Not-So-Atypical…

Since the passing of what we now call the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, students who were previously educated in separate facilities or campuses are now educated in their neighborhood schools. Even though students with severe disabilities are now in their neighborhood schools, many spend the majority of their day in…

The purpose of this study was to determine the types and frequency of music and special education workshops held at state music educators association (MEA) conferences. Specifically, the researchers sought to determine the following within the past 10 years: (a) states that offered music and special education workshops at their MEA conferences,…

Two Supreme Court cases have served to frame our legal rights and responsibilities regarding a Free Appropriate Public Education for students in our music classrooms and ensembles. This article serves as record of the two cases and their merits, according to the Supreme Court, as well as the actions recommended based on the court decisions.

As music educators, we can do much to promote the image of students with disabilities in our schools by using appropriate terminology in our teaching and communications with others. For music educators who are already aware of the various reference conventions related to persons with disabilities, perhaps you can do more to educate your students…

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to examine the impact that interactions with parents of children with disabilities might have on 10 graduate students (6 men and 4 women) between the ages of 22 and 32 years (M = 26.7 years, SD = 3.5) enrolled in a 3-week intensive music education course. Participants attended the course, 5 days a week,…

The public education of students with disabilities in the United States is governed by federal policies that promote school improvement, protect students from discrimination, and provide those who need it with special education and related services to meet their individual needs. This article explains the legal aspects of teaching students with…

A number of initiatives in special education have occurred in the United States over the years, some mandated by amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Having a working knowledge of these initiatives allows music educators to have informed discussions with colleagues and parents and participate more fully in Individualized…