Music is an art, a means of expressing thoughts, feelings and ideas through sound. Performing different music activities also contributes to children's cognitive, social, emotional and motor development. Children with intellectual disabilities are included in a special education programme where they perform music activities during their music classes. The main aim of our master's thesis is to investigate how special and rehabilitation educators and music teachers work in special education programmes, which music activities they use in their lessons and how they adapt them to students. To this end, a quantitative study was carried out, using a questionnaire to explore teachers' views on the implementation of music activities in special education. The respondents highlighted a number of challenges they face in planning their classes and teaching, as well as solutions they look for. They integrate music activities into other subjects, and greatly adapt and individualise music lessons. Teaching methods and strategies are also adapted to students' abilities: there is more variety and more methods used for students with moderate intellectual disabilities, and more strategies, adaptations as well as physical guidance and direction in activities for students with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. A variety of aids are used in music education, and alternative communication is helpful too. In some classes, there is also a caretaker, who is perceived by the teachers as having a significant influence on the quality of the music lessons. The respondents follow various principles that promote holistic development of students (the principles of activity, demonstration, interest, repetition, progression, artistic value, experience and individuality), and observe positive effects of music activities on the development of children with intellectual disabilities.
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