This research project is a qualitative investigation which is centred on the description of the use of music education and music therapy for children with special needs in Schools for Specific Purposes in New South Wales. This study has been undertaken in order to examine the current music programs, their effectiveness and the different types of music providers in these schools. The investigation involved the collection of data through interviews with principals and music providers of ten Schools for Specific Purposes and observational data from audiovisual recordings of two case study schools. The results of the interview data show a wide variety of music providers and music programs in these schools. The reasons for these variations include the priority and emphasis of music within the school, the training and employment of the music providers, the funding available and the purpose of the teaching of music to children with special needs. From these data it is apparent that the teaching of music as part of the Creative Arts occurs in some schools more frequently than others. The video data shows the benefits and development that can occur through the use of music in these schools. The results of this study verify national and international literature describing the benefits of music for children with special needs and establish that many good music programs exist in Schools for Specific Purposes. Further funding, training and networking would enhance the quality of music programs in Schools for Specific Purposes and encourage more of these schools to make music a priority in their curriculum.