Tuned in to Learning® was founded in 2004 by Autism Specialist and Music Therapist, Michelle Lazar, MA, MT-BC with the help of Dr. Jeremy Jensen, Psy.D, MT-BC, Psychologist/Music Therapist, and the talented team of Board Certified Music Therapists from Coast Music Therapy. This San Diego-based music therapy song team specialize in not only curriculum development but in training special education staff and providing classroom consultation to assist teachers in better utilizing music with their students. In working with a wide range of classrooms since 1999, it became clear that typical children's music was not often appropriate for the learning styles of children with special needs. Concepts in these songs were too abstract, lyrics were fast-paced and complex, and children only had a few seconds to respond to instructions presented in the song. In order to help fill this need, the Coast Music Therapy staff began to develop educational songs that addressed common IEP goals with simplified language and extended response time. Each song was field-tested directly in the educational setting to gain further feedback from teachers, therapists, and parents who used the program regularly with their students. Visual supports were also designed to match the same types of cues students had access to in the school setting such as flashcards, simplified worksheets, large print text, and real life photographs. Out of these beginnings, Tuned in to Learning® blossomed into a comprehensive curriculum that is utilized today in school districts, therapy clinics, and home programs internationally.
Under the direction of Michelle Lazar, MA, MT-BC, Autism Specialist, our team of Board Certified Neurologic Music Therapists specialize in serving students with autism and other special needs. In addition to publishing songs for special education, our staff also provide music therapy services through the IEP to San Diego county school districts through our agency Coast Music Therapy. Our motivated and musical team of professionals write, record, and produce each Tuned in to Learning® original song. We are always coming up with ideas for new songs, often inspired by IEP goals we are working on with our students.
Katie recently graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelors in Communication and now organizes every aspect of the Coast Music Therapy and Tuned in to Learning business administration. In her spare time you can find her in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, or at the bowling alley with her family winning league championships.