Special education students have a difficult time with learning due to the effects of their learning disabilities. One of the toughest challenges they face, whether they are autistic, have an attention deficit disorder, or have an emotional disturbance, is paying attention. Some of these types of learning disabilities are basically nervous system disorders, and a nervous system that is too excitable and hyperactive becomes a learning liability. Traditional educational strategies are geared to left-brained, auditory thinkers, but most children diagnosed with ADHD and autism are right-brained thinkers who think in visual terms and "like to see the whole picture and then go back and fill in the information gaps" (Jackson, 2007, p. 2). Because these learners are also imaginative and creative and have a tendency to daydream, they require a different learning approach that addresses their special issues, and incorporating music into the curriculum has been identified as one way of helping them (Jackson, 2007, p. 2). Music not only engages students but can also relieve boredom, increase focus, and serve as white noise that can block out distracting random noises (Jackson, 2007, p. 2).
Efforts to help such students focus and learn are often built around giving them ways to categorize information or build upon knowledge that they already have. However, these approaches merely provide a framework for learning; they do nothing to address the nervous system excitability of the special education student struggling with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. Moreover, special education students often suffer from stress and the impact of negative circumstances, and research shows that music "neutralizes negative feelings, increases stress tolerance level and harmonizes inner peace" (Sze, 2006, p. 113). Thus, music therapy has become a tool for addressing some of the impacts of learning disabilities. Colwe...