Pairing the reading of safety and survival signs with a particular song assists the student in retaining this information more successfully. The brain is a musical brain. The rhythms of sound have a powerful impact on cognition. The information most adults consistently recall from childhood is songs and rhymes. Emotional engagement is the key to effective learning.
People have at least seven distinct intelligences.
One of these intelligence areas is the musical area. Often people with special needs learn best through music because that part of the brain is an older part of the brain and less likely to be damaged from birth defects, accidents, etc. Enriched environments literally change the brain. Intelligence is not static. Music therapy provides a way to enrich the educational environment of a student with special needs.