Speaking for my colleagues, who I know pretty well, she will be welcome in music (elementary and beyond). She might not move along at the speed of the rest, but then again, neither do some others without medical diagnoses. If everyone moved at the same pace, school wouldn’t be what it is. Kids are all different in all kinds of ways: emotional development, physical, intellectual, musical, spiritual, etc. Many of them move at a much slower pace and we, as teachers, spend a lot of our time figuring out how to reach each one.

Secondly, kids can be mean and cruel. But they can also be surprisingly compassionate and caring. I have found in my short years of teaching that most kids recognize the differences between them and kids with special needs and they look for ways to help these little ones who might need some special care. They will take them under their wing and treat them with the respect that they deserve without any of the awkwardness that is often attached with the interactions of adults.