NYSSMA Neurodiversity and Accessibility Committee

(Formerly titled: The Music For Special Learners Committee)

Music for All
Welcome to the Neurodiversity & Accessibility page. Our focus is on helping create accessible musical environments for all, and providing all stakeholders with the support and tools to implement this. The resources we have compiled can apply to all types of music classrooms, ensembles, technology labs, studios, etc.

Brian J. Wagner-Yeung
NYSSMA Chair – Neurodiversity & Accessibility

Neurodiversity & Accessibility Committee
Brian J. Wagner-Yeung, Chair
Dr. Elise S. Sobol, Previous Chair

Neurodiversity & Accessibility Committee Meetings
Our committee will hold several meetings throughout the school year. All meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend. An agenda will be shared at the beginning of each meeting, with a time allotted for general membership participation. We welcome all stakeholders from our NYSSMA community to attend. Below are the dates of the meetings and the recurring Zoom link.
September 10th at 5:00 PM
November 12th at 5:00 PM
January 7th at 5:00 PM
March 4th at 5:00 PM
May 6th at 5:00 PM

https://brooklyn-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/86184461470?pwd=2w0cK31oLTYvJrHciioeYPrlD04rh3.1
Meeting ID: 861 8446 1470
Passcode: 246977

Procedures for Accommodating Students with Disabilities at NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Festivals
For students who require accommodations either for NYSSMA solo or ensemble festivals, there is a form that needs to be filled out by the teacher, parent/guardian, and principal. The form will need to be sent to the Festival Chairperson, and NYSSMA Zone Rep, at least six weeks prior to the adjudication or festival. The accommodations should be documented on a student’s IEP, or are accommodations that are regularly used during a student’s instructional program.

Teachers can access to form here: Procedures for Accommodating Students with Disabilities at NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Festivals Form

For a list of suggested and allowable accommodations, teachers can use this resource from New York State: Accommodations for Testing

Neurodiversity & Accessibility Sessions at the 2024 NYSSMA Winter Conference
This year, our Neurodiversity & Accessibility sessions at our annual winter conference will present a wide range of topics. Please take a look at our offerings.

Supporting the Musical Success of All Students
Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 3:30 PM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenter: Erik Piazza & Michael Roller
We will describe our process for improving district-wide support for teachers, staff, and their K–8 students with increased support needs. We will share strategies for structuring peer observation and reflection, incorporating technology and adapted instruments, embedding UDL, and increasing communication between teachers, service providers, and paraprofessionals.

Six Steps Towards More Accessible Music Education
Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 7:00 PM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenters: Rhoda Bernard
In this session, you will learn six steps toward making the education you provide more accessible for your students. These include: structure and schedule, preparatory materials and narratives, visuals, and much more. The strategies that you learn here can be easily incorporated into your teaching on Monday morning!

Assistive Technology in Music Education: An Interactive Experience
Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 8:15 AM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenters: Angela Guerriero, Mara Culp & Lisa Pierce-Goldstein
Music education should be accessible for all students. Assistive technology can be used to support musical participation and communication. This session will offer hands-on experiences with adaptive music technology and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including speech generating apps for music terminology, and low- and mid-tech AAC for music.

Eyes on the Prize! Making Your Ensemble Accessible for Students with Visual Impairments
Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 10:45 AM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenter: Zachary May & Nuala Stanghellini
What might a visually impaired student need to fully participate in your class? An orchestra teacher and former student offer a deep-dive look into music scanning, enlarging, page turning and file storage technologies that can be collaboratively tailored to individual needs.

Inclusive Curriculum Design for the K-8 Modern Music Instructor
Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 7:00 PM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenter: Christopher Cavarretta
Public education music classrooms vary wildly depending on the school size, location, budget, and resources available. Therefore, making a “one-size-fits-all” music education curriculum is nearly impossible. The best course of action would be to design a curriculum that encourages ALL students to grow new musical skills in a “level-up system”.

Full Inclusion in the Elementary Ensemble and Where to Begin
Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 1:15 PM in CC Aqueduct CD
Presenters: Elise S. Sobol, Ed.D. & Kimberly Rosenbaum, M.S. Ed
Whether your PreK-6 musician is placed in a general, collaborative teaching, or self-contained classroom, instructional approaches from special education can be applied constructively to enable success in large ensemble settings such as elementary band. Come learn “How”. Make the stage a place for everyone. Applicable for beginner ensembles and beyond.

Everyone Belongs: The Accessible Music Classroom for All
Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 9:30 AM in
Presenter: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung
Music educators need to consider the strengths and needs of all students, especially those who may require adaptations, accommodations, or modifications. This session will focus on what this looks like specifically in a music classroom, and will give new teachers the tools to design an accessible classroom for all.
* Scheduled under CNAfME

Engaging All Learners: Adapting the Curriculum to Meet All Students
Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 1:15 PM in
Presenter: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung
This session will focus on how music teachers can adapt the curriculum to make it accessible for all students. This will allow the music classroom to become equitable and a place of belonging for all. Strategies will include: Universal Design for Learning, Task Analysis, Multisensory Learning, and Assistive Technology.
* Scheduled under Curriculum

Previous Neurodiversity & Accessibility NYSSMA Winter Conference Sessions
2021 Winter Conference Special Learner Sessions
2022 Winter Conference Special Learner Sessions
2023 Winter Conference Neurodiversity & Accessibility Sessions

Federal & NYS Education Laws & Information
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (1988)
(ADA) The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
(IDEA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997)
(ESSA) Every Student Succeeds Act (2015)
National Association for Music Education The Every Student Succeeds Act
Our Nation’s English Learners
U.S. Department of Education English Learner Fact Sheet
New York State Laws and Regulations Related to Special Education and Students with Disabilities

Music-Making, Accessible & Inclusive Ensembles, Programs & Studios
Daniel’s Music Foundation
Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
Hug Music
Just Accessible Music (JAM)
Music Academy for Special Learners
Sonic Arts for All (SAFA!)
United Sound
Urban Arts Partnership (EASE)

Organizations, Professional Development, & Resources for Educators
ABLE Assembly (Arts Better the Lives of Everyone)
Arts for All Abilities Consortium
CEC Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education (DARTS)
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
Divas with Disabilities
ISME Special Music Education & Music Therapy
NAfME Children with Exceptionalities Special Research Interest Group (SRIG)
Access/VSA The Kennedy Center

Assistive Musical Technology & Adaptive Musical Resources
Artiphon
Beamz
Clarion
EyeHarp
Figurenotes
Jamboxx
Launchpad X
Makey Makey
Orba
Skwitch
Soundbeam
Specdrums

Applications & Websites
BeatBlocks
Chrome Music Lab
Creatability Experiments by Google
GarageBand
Incredibox
Keezy
Paint Melody
ThumbJam

Literature for Music & Diverse Learners
An Attitude and Approach for Teaching Music to Special Learners (Third Edition)
Elise S. Sobol

Exceptional Music Pedagogy for Children with Exceptionalities (International Perspectives)
Deborah VanderLinde Blair & Kimberly A. McCord

Including Everyone: Creating Music Classrooms Where All Children Learn
Judith A. Jellison

The Music and Literacy Connection
Dee Hansen, Elaine Bernstorf & Gayle M. Stuber

Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Hear of Teaching Music
Scott N. Edgar

Music in Special Education (Third Edition)
Mary S. Adamek & Alice-Ann Darrow

Special Needs, Community Music, and Adult Learning (An Oxford Handbook of Music Education, Volume 4)
Gary E. McPherson & Graham F. Welch

Spotlight on Making Music with Special Learners: Selected Articles from State MEA Journals (Spotlight Series)
MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label Free Approach (Second Edition)
Alice M. Hammel & Ryan M. Hourigan

Winding it Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings
Alice M. Hammel, Roberta Y. Hickox & Ryan M. Hourigan

Literature for Inclusive Environments & Teaching
Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally
Emily Ladau

Disability Visability: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
Alice Wong

Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner

Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life
Thomas Armstrong

UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning (Third Edition)
Katie Novak

Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL
Allison Posey & Katie Novak

Publications by NYSSMA Chairs for Neurodiversity & Accessibility
Sobol, E. S. (August 1994). Music Success for Special Learners, Inclusion Buzzword
of Hope for the Future! New York: New York State Council of Educational Associations.

Sobol, E. S. (September 1994). “The Red, Green, Yellow, Song” in NYSSMA Notes.
Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (January 1995). “Assembly Programs” in NYSSMA Notes.
Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (March 1995). “Music Success for Special Learners.” in
School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (May/June 1995). “Music and the Mouse.” In NYSSMA Notes.
Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (November 1995). “Magic Microphone and Awesome Video Camera.” in
NYSSMA Notes. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (February 1997). “It Depends on Y.O.U.” in NYSSMA Notes. Westbury, NY:
New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (December 1998). “Loud, Louder, Loudest.” in School Music News.
Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (October 1999). “Communication through Music: A Language beyond
Words” in School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (August 2001). “Is That Your Joanna There? The Musical Rhythmic Intelligence.
How Fantastic!” School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E. S. (December 2001). “Instructional Music Teaching for Special Learners”
School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Sobol, E.S. (2001). An Attitude and Approach for Teaching Music to Special Learners
Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press

E. S. (2004). “Loud, Louder, Loudest-Teaching the Dynamics of Life.” in Spotlight on
Making Music with Special Learners. Reston, VA: MENC: The National Association for Music Education, 68–71.

Wagner, B. (2015). Engaging All Learners: Tools and Techniques to Reach Different Types of Learners in the Music Classroom. School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Wagner, B. (2016). Making Connections for Special Learners: Using Repertoire to Enhance Lifelong Learning. School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Wagner, B. (2016). Using Repertoire to Enhance Lifelong Learning. Music in a Minuet. Reston, VA: National Association for Music Education.

Wagner, B. (2017). Using a Differentiated Rhythmic and Melodic Notation System for Special Learners in All Musical Settings. Tempo. Lakewood, NJ: New Jersey Music Educators Association.

Wagner, B. (2017). Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom. Music in a Minuet. Reston, VA: National Association for Music Education.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2018). Teaching Lessons to Children with Special Needs. Music in a Minuet. Reston, VA: National Association for Music Education.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2018). Behavioral Supports for Students with Special Needs in Musical Environments. Music in a Minuet. Reston, VA: National Association for Music Education.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2019). Related Service Providers in the Music Classroom. DARTS Newsletter. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2020). Distance Learning for Special Learners in the Music Classroom. Music in a Minuet. Reston, VA: National Association for Music Education.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2020). Let’s Make Music! Engaging Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the K-8 General Music Classroom. Coralville, IA: Music ConstructED.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2021). Neurodiversity in the Music Classroom: Using the Strengths of All Students During In-Person and Remote Learning. School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2022). Inclusive Strategies for Students with ASD in the Music Room. Coralville, IA: Music ConstructED.

Wagner-Yeung, B. (2023). What’s in a Label? An Inclusive Person-First & Strength-Based Approach. School Music News. Westbury, NY: New York State School Music Association.

Contact Brian J. Wagner-Yeung (NYSSMA Chair – Neurodiversity & Accessibility) at brianwagneryeung@gmail.com for handouts from previous NYSSMA conferences, articles, additional websites, and resources.

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