Creating a Meaningful Music Curriculum for Students With Disabilities

Functional Curriculum

After the 1975 passing of P.L. 94-142, now known as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), special educators began to challenge the tradition curriculum as students with disabilities were being included in regular classrooms. Most notably, Brown et al. (1979) proposed a functional curriculum, taught in natural environments as much as possible, for students with disabilities. Previously in the traditional curriculum, students were taught age appropriate tasks in a sequence; however, students with disabilities were never able to master the prerequisite skills to move on to the next steps (Brown et al., 1979). This resulted in students with disabilities “getting stuck” on basic skills for young children and never progressing to age-appropriate or age-level skills. Instead, a functional curriculum teaches students with disabilities skills that have a lifelong functional value (Bender, Valletutti, & Baglin, 1996; Wheeler, 1987). As Brown et al., stated in the 1996 update to their 1979 article, “the more functional skills individuals with disabilities have in their repertoires, the more they can do for themselves, the more privacy, choices, and dignity they have and the fewer social, emotional, financial, and other pressures they place on others” (p. 4).

This idea of a functional curriculum grew popular, and there was a shift in special education; the functional curriculum continues to be implemented today and is frequently researched (Bouck & Satsangi, 2014; Shurr & Bouck, 2013). Historically, the functional curriculum is associated with students with moderate or severe disabilities (Bouck & Satsangi, 2014) and to design the curriculum, an ecological inventory of common environments and activities to determine critical skills that are necessary to function is completed (Brown et al., 1979). These environments and activities are directly related to long-term goals that are of functional value for the student. This concept of planning for transition and adult life is explicitly part of IDEA (2004) and is required to be a part of students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) as they age.

Currently, special educators use the terminology, “functional skills” or “functional life skills” when referring to skills related to a functional curriculum. These are skills that are valuable for community, independent living, and work skills. Often, goals related to these skills are separated from students’ academic goals on their IEP. Recently, goals related to self-determination have been added to this broad category of functional skills (Darrow & Adamek, 2017).

Moving Toward a Functional Music Curriculum

The idea of having a functional music curriculum is not new. In a 1943 issue of Music Educators Journal, Winslow encouraged music teachers to “functionalize” what we teach. He suggested we move beyond scales and exercise to focus on the music itself (Winslow, 1943). Later, Jellison (1990) wrote a series of questions for music educators to informally evaluate curricular content and instructional practices for students with disabilities. As technology and the ways people in our communities at large engage in music experiences have evolved, there are many ways for all students, including those with disabilities, to engage in meaningful music experiences in our classrooms.

To implement a functional music curriculum, identify the skills that are necessary to participate in music environments beyond the classroom walls (Brown et al., 1979). When considering music environments, think about the various ways students with disabilities will engage in music experiences outside school not only as they are students but also as they are adults. As you think about their goals after school, speaking with other professionals who closely work with the student, such as paraprofessionals and special educators will be important. It is also important to ask the family how they engage with music with their child and how they envision the role of music for their child as they age. It is likely that different students will have different goals; teachers will need to look for common skills. Once these common skills are identified, they become the focus of music instruction and activities.

For students who will actively engage in being a consumer of music as an adult (e.g., concert goer), learning skills to communicate about music will be very important so they are able to engage in thoughtful discussion after a concert. In the general music classroom, preparation for this may include listening to music of various genres and being introduced to appropriate vocabulary to describe the music and talk about music preferences. Students who use an alternative augmented communication device, such as an iPad, will need to have new vocabulary words programmed into their device and then be taught to use those appropriately in conversations with peers.

For students who will actively engage in making music as an adult (e.g., church choir, community band), learning the music-making skills necessary to be able to participate in those ensembles will be important. Preparation for this would include keeping a steady beat, singing and playing in-tune, learning to read staff notation or adapted notation, as well as playing in small and large ensembles as a student in elementary school, as well as throughout middle and high school. Students with moderate and severe disabilities may need adaptations in the music itself and the notation to be successful in these settings. Also, students with physical disabilities may need to use an adapted instrument to participate.

As each of these individualized goals is identified for students with disabilities, it is possible to include music-related goals on their IEPs, so you can demonstrate they are working toward these lifelong skills in music. It is also likely that many of these goals are also important for students without disabilities in your classroom. As you examine your current curriculum, considering asking the question “Why am I teaching my students this particular skill?” and “Are these activities I planned addressing students’ lifelong music-making goals?” It maybe that skills and activities you have previously taught may not be appropriate to address your current students’ lifelong music-making goals. For more ideas on how to analyze your music classroom environment and common activities in this manner, see Judith Jellison’s (2015) text, Including Everyone: Creating Music Classrooms Where All Children Learn.

As music teachers begin the school year and plan, before focusing on how to teach students with disabilities, use the principles of developing a functional curriculum to examine the “what” and the “why” we are teaching our students in the music classroom. Once we have determined what to teach them and why each of these skills are important for their adult lives, the how will fall into place. While these ideas of a functional curriculum may be inspired by the students with disabilities in our classes, every student will benefit from a music teacher carefully examining the music curriculum to ensure all students have the skills to engage in meaningful lifelong music experiences.