Music Educators’ Involvement in the Individual Education Program Process and Their Knowledge of Assistive Technology

Abstract

In 1997, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 1990 was amended to require that assistive technology be considered when preparing an individual education program (IEP). This study explored involvement of Midwestern music educators in the IEP development process as well as their knowledge and attitudes regarding use of assistive technology in teaching students with disabilities. Music educators reported that they continue to have a low level of self-reported involvement in educational planning for students with disabilities. Although music educators recognize the utility of assistive technology, their knowledge base remains limited. Music educators identified the need for better preparation to teach students with disabilities as well as improved interdisciplinary collaboration.

A Graduate Course on Inclusion

“…Similar to reports from the previous section on general, special, and music educators' attitudes, music educators have indicated that they are unprepared to teach children with special needs (Gilbert & Asmus, 1981;Hahn, 2010;McCord & Watts, 2010). The majority of music educators surveyed were uninformed about their students' abilities, because they did not attend IEP meetings or possess copies of the IEPs and therefore might not have made appropriate accommodations as described in the IEPs (Gilbert & Asmus, 1981;Hahn, 2010;McCord & Watts, 2010;Scott et al, 2007;VanWeelden & Whipple, 2013 Jellison, Brooks, and Huck (1984) found the same result, namely that placing children with severe handicaps in a music room with peers of the same chronological age without facilitating interactions and accommodating instruction was insufficient, and the children with disabilities were not truly integrated. Music educators need to appropriately differentiate instruction in order for inclusion to be successful (Jellison et al, 1984;Jellison & Taylor, 2007), and, as research indicates, some music educators are unprepared to differentiate instruction for children with special needs.…”

“…The music educators indicated that, in their 56! school settings, they did not receive enough information about their students' capabilities and were excluded from important planning sessions, a result similar to what has been discovered via other research (Frisque et al, 1994;Hahn, 2010;McCord & Watts, 2010).…”

“…Another common theme is the recommendation for more training for preservice music educators on inclusive music classrooms (Gilbert & Asmus, 1981;VanWeelden & Whipple, 2013). Yet another common theme is the recommendation for more collaboration with special education staff and participation in the IEP process (Hahn, 2010;McCord & Watts, 2010).…”

“…According to Gerrity, Hourigan, and Horton (2013), when children with disabilities are first integrated into a general classroom are often integrated into music classrooms with their peers. With these changing classroom dynamics, many music educators have expressed their concern that they are unprepared to teach children with disabilities (Culton, 1999;Gfeller, Darrow, & Hedden, 1990;Hahn, 2010;McCord & Watts 2010), especially when children with Emotional/Behavior Disorders (EBD) are included in their classrooms (Darrow, 1999;Gfeller et al, 1990;Frisque, Niebur, & Humphreys, 1994, Shirk, 2008.…”

“…Illinois and Texas (Scott et al, 2007), a large midwestern state (McCord & Watts, 2010), and Pennsylvania (Hahn, 2010). The research literature documents music educators' little to nonexistent involvement in the IEP process, and in the last 20 years there has been little improvement in music educators' participation in the IEP development process (McCord & Watts, 2010). Throughout this section, I review a number of researchers' specific recommendations on how to increase music educators' participation in the IEP process in order to improve music instruction for children with disabilities.…”