Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate services and program offerings for adults with developmental disabilities in the state of Florida. Agencies (N = 380) listed on The Able Trust website were investigated to determine the types of services offered (Guided Living, Advocacy, Other, Insufficient Information). Agencies were organized by region dictated by The Able Trust (Northwest, North Central, Northeast, East Coast, Gulf Coast, Central, Southwest, and South). Of the total agencies listed, the Guided Living agencies (n = 146) were investigated to document program offerings. Program offerings (n = 283) of interest in this study included: Music, Job Training, Life Skills, Social/Leisure, Social/Sports, and Other.
This study revealed the lack of music program offerings in the state of Florida (n = 16). The program offering with the highest percentage was Job Training (n = 77). Two regions in the state listed no music program offerings (North Central, East Coast). The region providing the most music program offerings was the South Region (n = 5). Other areas of interest discovered in this study were other program offerings including equine therapy, pet therapy, culinary training, and horticulture. Future research in this area may include using music for transition from public school to guided living, training recreational activity directors for music inclusion, and the incorporation of music education into agencies for adults with developmental disabilities. Additionally, site visits to determine the quality of music of program offerings may also provide insight for future investigations.
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