Medley Music Access & Inclusion

10/16/2026

Gato Gato Gato is only one of the 25 music classroom activities written for the inclusion of disabled students with high support needs in our collection titled We Are All Musicians.

Each activity in the book includes recommended adaptations and extensions and a hand-drawn icon for visual schedules and AAC devices. The volume also includes choice boards, visual supports, alternate music notation for student performance, demo & discussion videos for the teacher, recorded accompaniments, and other features to make these activities ready for immediate use in your classroom.

Order today at music-access.com/book1.

10/15/2026

School concert accommodations part 3! Consider the sensory needs of your neurodivergent students. More info and resources at music-access.com, link in bio.

10/14/2026

School concert accommodations part 2! *How* to include a student with high support needs. There is one person whose opinion counts the most… read the full blog post at music-access.com/blog.

10/14/2026

Jess has a guest post over on the blog for the Berklee Institute of Accessible Arts Education. Check it out!

Reframing singing-centric expectations in elementary general music is essential for the meaningful inclusion of non‑speaking students. When we broaden our pedagogical lens to include movement, instruments, AAC, visual supports, and structured choice systems, we recognize diverse motor, communicative, and sensory profiles as legitimate pathways to musicianship. In this post, music educator, Jessica Corwin, provides practical strategies that music educators can use to rethink classroom goals, restructure activities, and offer accommodations so that non-speaking students can participate fully. Visit https://biaae1.wordpress.com/ to read Jessica's post today!



[Image Description: A grid of laminated choice cards, showing illustrations of transportation modes. Top row, left to right: Train, airplane, dump truck. Second row, left to right: Tractor, ferris wheel, bicycle. Third row, left to right: Wagon, race car, rocket ship. Bottom row: Submarine. Illustrations appear against a blue background, with the name of the vehicle written in large black letters below.]

10/13/2026

School concert accommodations part 1: make the performance content accessible and inclusive so every child can perform in a way that matches their interests and abilities. Read more at music-access.com/blog.

10/11/2026

A hill I will die on. Concert uniforms are not accessible!

10/11/2026

Independence with accommodations is still independence!

I disagree with the idea that if a child requires prompting to perform a skill, they aren't independent. Independence does not mean the absence of support.

Executive functioning impacts initiation, planning, organization, working memory, and task completion.

Adults use prompts EVERY SINGLE DAY. Alarms. Calendar reminders. To-do lists. Emails from supervisors. Notifications.

Those are external prompts and supports. Yet we don't automatically label adults as prompt dependent for using them.

So why are we holding disabled children to a different standard?

There is a difference between not knowing HOW to perform a skill and needing support to INITIATE or complete a skill.

And there is a difference between prompt dependence and using accessible supports to navigate executive functioning differences.

The goal should not always be to eliminate prompts. The goal should be to identify the supports that allow the learner to access, participate, and function with greater autonomy. Because independence with accommodations is STILL independence.

10/10/2026

La Clave has become one of our favorites with elementary sub-separate and early childhood inclusion groups! This catchy tune facilitates instrument exploration and creativity with claves while teaching Spanish vocabulary for construction tools.

Isaiah Eddington's original artwork (including an activity icon for a visual schedule or AAC requesting!) and Jon Burgos' recorded accompaniment offer additional access points for engagement following a Universal Design for Learning model.

Get this song and 24 others in the physical or digital edition of We Are All Musicians: 25 Imaginative Song-Based Activities for Inclusive Music Classrooms, available at music-access.com/book1.

10/08/2026

School concerts coming up? Are you panicking about including your students with specific high support needs? Here's one important thing to keep in mind. More specific ideas on our blog at music-access.com.

10/07/2026

An inclusive classroom can't be built around exclusive expectations.

Many of us inherited from mentors and administrators a set of classroom expectations rooted in neuronormative compliance. That means that everyone is expected to behave and learn like a neurotypical person, but not all our students can meet those expectations-- at least not without significantly compromising their wellbeing and/or learning.

It's never too late to unlearn these potentially harmful expectations and make your classroom more inclusive. Follow us for philosophy and concrete ideas, and request our content for your district's professional development. music-access.com