Music Therapy on the IEP

Yes, Music Therapy IS a related service too!

	Music therapy is a related service: this was originally stated in the congressional report on IDEA and it has been affirmed by the Federal Office of Special Education.
	The only way for music therapy to be placed on an IEP as a related service is through an assessment conducted by a qualified music therapist.
	Music therapy may be provided as an educational consult service to a group of students (early childhood or autism programs, for example) -- and this may provide more children with service and teachers with materials they can use on a daily basis - but it should not be listed as a related service on any student's IEP if that student has not received an individualized assessment.
	An assessment for music therapy as a related service should, at minimum, include a review of the student's current IEP, interviews with key IEP team members, and an assessment process/instrument that provides specific data as to whether or not music therapy makes a significant difference in a student's ability to benefit from his or her IEP. Many music therapists utilize the SEMTAP assessment tool, which is the Special Education Music Therapy Assessment Process.  The SEMTAP determines if a student receives a significant motivation and /or assist from music therapy in achieving IEP goals and objectives.  Are you considering music therapy for your child?  If you answer yes to some of these questions, music therapy in the schools may be worth exploring.

	Is the student motivated to attempt tasks through the use of music?
	Is the student motivated to complete tasks through the use of music?
	Would the student benefit from the use of additional communication modalities?
	Does the student initiate interaction with music or musical instruments in the classroom or in the home?
	Does the student retain information conveyed in songs more easily than information conveyed in spoken interchanges?

© Kathleen Coleman & Betsey King, 1996-2006.