Focus on Music 2 is the second in a series that examines the impact of different forms of visual impairment on the developing musicality of blind and partially-sighted children and young people.The research is based on observations of visually impaired children and young people by their parents, teachers and therapists, and by the authors themselves. A key question is how the participants' level of vision, the age of onset of their visual impairment, and the neurological consequences of their medical condition impact on their evolving musicality. Parents answered questions about the following: their perceptions of their children's interests in everyday sounds and music; the importance of music in different contexts and at different times; their children's musical abilities; their accounts of their children's engagements with music; the provision of music education and therapy. The research is complemented by illustrated case studies, which offer a range of detailed perspectives on the musical experiences, interests, abilities and education of seven children and young people with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Examples of teaching strategies and assessments of musical development using the Sounds of Intent (SOI) Framework are illustrated. The book contributes to a wider recognition of the vital role of music therapy and education in the lives of all children with special educational needs, and concludes that neither visual impairment nor learning difficulties need be a barrier to musical fulfilment at all levels. This book will be helpful to those who work with children and young people with visual impairment, including their families, teachers and therapists. It will also interest music educators, music psychologists and researchers.
