Music Visuals

& Schedules

for Special Education

 Thank You!
Thank you for putting your trust in me to provide quality resources for your classroom.
I appreciate the opportunity to create tasks and supports for your students.

This item is a paid digital download created by Adapting for Autism, Inc. The purchaser is
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granted a single personal license to use this resource in their own classroom or therapy room.

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DO THIS NOT THAT

DO print as many copies as you need to DON’T share with co-workers to use with
serve the students in your classroom or their students without purchasing
on your caseload. You may re-use this additional licenses.
resource every year!

DO save the file on your personal DON’T save the file to the shared drive so
computer or personal drive on your work anyone in your school can access it.
computer.

DO send tasks home with students for DON’T post the resource on your
extra practice. classroom website for parents to
download unless the website is password
protected.

DO share photos of the resource on social DON’T post the resource on teacher
media and tag me! DO share my site share sites including but not limited to
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© Adapting for Autism, Inc.

 Notes
• Music can be an opportunity for inclusion but we must take extra
steps to make sure our special education students are successful.
Simply putting them with their peers can be a recipe for
disaster!
• Two of the easiest ways to increase the likelihood of success is to
provide structure through the use of schedules and offer choices
using visuals.
• Example: let students create their own dance by choosing
moves from a choice board. Choice is power!
• Task analysis is great but very difficult within a music
program. Giving just enough information about what to do
(dance) and what is next (sing with friends) can help relieve
student anxiety about what is expected of them.

Contents:
• Three pages of 2”x2” icons
• Activities and adjectives
• Instruments and equipment
• Dance moves
• “I want” communication strips
• Communication visual with requests
• Voting cards
• Thumbs up/Thumbs down
• I like it/I don’t like it
• Too loud social narrative
• Green/Red schedule
• First/Next/Last schedule
• First/Next/Then/Last schedule
• Mini rules visual card
• Six full page rules visuals (to post in classroom)

© Adapting for Autism, Inc.

Schedule & Choice Cards
• 52 2 inch square icons
• Activities and Adjectives
• Instruments and equipment
• Dance moves
• Use these cards for to do lists,
first/then schedules and student
choices
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate
• Cut
• Put hard Velcro on the back

I Want Strips
• Use these with the 2 inch icons.
• You can laminate a file folder
and put strips of soft Velcro
inside. Put the icons inside so
students can request dance
moves, instruments, etc.
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate
• Cut
• Put soft Velcro on the
front

© Adapting for Autism

Communication Visuals
• Visual strip of 5 basic requests/statements
• I need help.
• I want a break.
• It is too loud.
• I like it.
• I don’t like it.
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate
• Cut
• Have available for students to access.
• Examples
• If you see a student getting agitated, prompt them to request a
break.
• If a student indicates it is too loud, offer a break away from the
activity or noise reducing headphones.

Too Loud Story

• One page social narrative explaining music
might be too loud.
• Read to students at the beginning of class. If
student takes a break, read the story again
before returning to class.
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate or put in page protector

Voting Cards
• Students express their opinion of the song by holding up a
card. Great for students reluctant to participate.
• Two versions
• Thumbs up or Thumbs down
• I like it or I don’t like it (1 boy/1 girl)
• Set up
• Print
• Fold in half (voting card will be double sided)
• Laminate © Adapting for Autism
Green/Red Schedule
• Use schedule icons to create visual schedule
• Set up:
• Print
• Laminate
• Put a vertical strip of soft Velcro under “To
Do” and “All Done” sections.
• Add an extra strip of soft Velcro on the back
to hold extra icons.
• Place schedule cards on “To Do” side of
schedule.
• As you complete each step, student or teacher
moves card to the “All Done” side.
• Use schedule as a visual reminder what is coming
up next.
• “Dancing is all done. Time for singing.
• Limit the number of steps on the front if students
are overwhelmed. Store extra pieces on the back.

3-step and 4-step schedules

• Two options
• First Next Last
• First Next Then Last
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate
• Cut
• Put soft Velcro in each box
• Use with the schedule icons
• Example
• First: Dance
• Next: Sing with friends
• Last: Play instrument

© Adapting for Autism

Music Rules Card
• Half page visual rules cards
• Listen to teachers
• Safe hands and body
• Use my words
• Be careful around others
• Take care of instruments
• Try my best
• Set up:
• Print
• Laminate
• Cut
• Keep rules nearby and refer to them as
necessary.

Music Rules Posters

• Full page posters of the same rules
on the individual cards – see
above.
• Set up
• Print
• Laminate
• Post in your classroom
• Refer to rules before each class
and as needed for reminders.

© Adapting for Autism

Activities and Adjectives

Listen to music Sing by self Dance Play instrument

Watch music Sing with

video friends Music game Music choice

Listening
Music activity Performance station Special activity

Loud Soft Fast Slow

1…2…3…4…

High Low Beat Repeat

© Adapting for Autism
Instruments and Equipment

Drum Tambourine Triangle Egg shaker

Maracas Rain stick Boomwhacker Rhythm bells

Cowbell Jingle stick Wood block Rhythm sticks

Drum sticks Cymbals Xylophone Recorder

Piano Guitar Microphone Bean bags

© Adapting for Autism
Dance moves

Bend down Clap hands Click fingers Cross arms

Hands on
Hands in the air Hands on head Hands on hips shoulders

Jump Spin Stomp foot Sway

© Adapting for Autism

I want please.

I want please.

I want please.

I want please.

© Adapting for Autism

Communication support strip

I want a
I need help. break. It is too loud. I like it. I don’t like it.

I want a
I need help. break. It is too loud. I like it. I don’t like it.

I want a
I need help. break. It is too loud. I like it. I don’t like it.

I want a
I need help. break. It is too loud. I like it. I don’t like it.

© Adapting for Autism

 Too Loud
Sometimes music class is too loud.

It can hurt my ears.

I might get upset but I need to follow my rules.

I can ask my teacher for a break.

After a short break, I will go back to music class.

I will be ok!
© Adapting for Autism
 Thumbs
up!
Thumbs
down!

© Adapting for Autism

 © Adapting for Autism
I like it!
I don’t
like it!
 © Adapting for Autism
I like it!
I don’t
like it!
To Do All Done

© Adapting for Autism

 Today I will
First Next Last

Today I will
First Next Last

© Adapting for Autism

 © Adapting for Autism
Today I will
First Next Then Last
Today I will
First Next Then Last
Rules cards

In music, I will follow my rules.

Listen to teachers Safe hands and body Use my words

Take care of
Careful around others instruments Try my best

In music, I will follow my rules.

Listen to teachers Safe hands and body Use my words

Take care of
Careful around others instruments Try my best

© Adapting for Autism

Listen to
Teachers

© Adapting for Autism

Safe hands
and body

© Adapting for Autism

Use my words

© Adapting for Autism

Careful around
others

© Adapting for Autism

Take care of
instruments

© Adapting for Autism

Try my best

© Adapting for Autism