Is there research to support the Tuned in to Learning program?
While Tuned in to Learning incorporates a variety of evidence-based techniques including music mnemonics, photographic cues, textual cues, scripts, task analyses, and prompt-fading procedures, it is intended to be used as an integrated approach within the student’s wider educational or home program and is not a substitute for specific therapy services or treatment techniques.

Pilot studies have been completed by educators on the use of Tuned in to Learning in their classrooms and can be explored below.

The Effects of Music Therapy on the Interaction of Verbal and Non-verbal Skills of Students with Moderate to Severe Autism by Jennifer Havlat

To view research on music with specific diagnoses click here.

What age range is the Tuned in to Learning curriculum designed for?
Because our songs encompass a variety of musical styles, and avoid nursery-rhyme types of tunes, they can benefit a wide age range. It’s most important that you select volumes that contain goals that match the needs of the child or teen who will be using the program. As a general reference, the following age ranges are provided for each volume.

• Volume 1 (social skills): Ages 3-12
• Volume 2 (language concepts): Ages 2-10
• Volume 3 (daily living/ self-regulation): Ages 3-12
• Volume 4 (“wh” questions): Ages 4-14
• Volume 5 (academics): Ages 4-14
• Volume 6 (discrete trial/readiness skills): Ages 2-10
• Volume 7 (emerging speech/oral motor): Ages 2-8
• Volume 8 (skills for students with multiple disabilities): Appropriate for children and young adults
• Volume 9 (adapted dance/movement): Appropriate for children and young adults
  

Can the Tuned in to Learning curriculum be used with students who are pre-verbal?
Adaptations for pre-verbal students are provided for many of the Tuned in to Learning songs. For Volumes 1-5, you’ll find these adaptations in the “Lesson Plans” section at the beginning of each song. In addition, flashcards and bonus visual supports contained on the companion CD-ROMs for Volumes 1-5 can be used for students who respond best by pointing, choosing the correct photo, or eye gaze rather than speech.

For Volumes 6 and 7 (Music CD & CD-ROM sets), adaptations are provided in the lesson plan section of the CD-ROM. Note that both Volume 6 (Discrete Trial & Learning Readiness) and Volume 7 (Emerging Speech & Oral Motor) are geared towards students who are pre-verbal or have emerging verbal skills.

Volume 8 (Skill Building for Students with Multiple Disabilities) is a Music CD specifically designed for students who are pre-verbal and are accessing basic augmentative communication such as a BigMack® switch.

What are the “Adapt-a-Song” versions featured on many of the Music CDs?
At the end of the Music CDs for Volumes 1-7 you’ll find additional versions of the songs called “Adapt-a-Song” versions. These versions contain the same chorus and music as the original song but leave out the target instructions or questions. This allows you to create new verses for the student to respond to.

For example, in the song “Numbers Man” (from Volume 5), the first verse instructs the student to “Find number 3.” In the Adapt-a-Song version of Numbers Man, this instruction is removed, so that the teacher may vary the target to a different number such as “Find number 16.”

This is particularly helpful when individuals master initial content quickly, or for students who learn at a slower pace, and would benefit from the same target being repeated multiple times.