Music Therapy Month Series: Music Therapy and Early Childhood

Music is prevelant in the life of a young child (and rightfully so!) This post will address how and why music therapy works for children ages birth-5 years.

In order to delineate music therapy from other ways young children experience and learn music, a quick definition:

Music therapy is an intentional and developmentally appropriate use of music by a music therapist to address a variety of goals.

These goals will vary based on the individual or the group. Often, early childhood music therapy focuses on meeting developmental milestones. These include communication, social/emotional, sensori-motor and cognitive skills.

Why is music therapy so successful in early childhood?

• Children are inherently musical. Did you know that even infants can "coo" on the tonic or dominant pitch (1^st and 5^th notes in a scale, respectively)?
• Music therapy is multi-modal: this means it is not only something one listens to, but can move to see and feel. ( and in the case of infants, possibly taste as well!)
• Music is motivating and engaging. Music permeates an environment—it is difficult to shut one’s ears the way one can shut his or her eyes! Music is energizing and can encourage motor skills and development. Alternatively, music can be calming and comforting as well.
• Young children learn through play. Music therapy is naturally playful and therefore a developmentally appropriate way to reinforce and increase cognitive skills.
• Even before a child can speak, music can provide a path of communication. Music can be the commonality that helps that child relate to others. Music making is a social event and can support and increase appropriate interactions with caregivers and peers.

MTEC provides individual and group sessions for young children—these children include "typically developing" chidren, children with disabilities and children considered “at-risk.”

MTEC is proud to be a part of Toddler Rock at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Toddler Rock is a pre-literacy program that serves children from underserved areas of Cleveland. Check out more information about this program here.

Music Therapy Month Series: Music Therapy and Autism

Music therapy can make an incredible difference in the lives of individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

How?

Music is Engaging:

Music captures and helps maintain attention. It is highly motivating and may be used as a natural “reinforcer” for desired responses. Music therapy can stimulate clients to reduce negative and/or self-stimulatory responses and increase participation in more appropriate and socially acceptable ways.

Music is Communicative:

Music therapy can enable those without language to communicate, participate and express themselves non-verbally. Very often music therapy also assists in the development of verbal communication, speech, and language skills. The interpersonal timing and reciprocity in shared play, turn-taking, listening and responding to another person are augmented in music therapy with children and adults with autism to accommodate and address their styles of communication.

Music is Emotional:

Music therapy allows individuals with diagnoses on the autism spectrum the opportunity to develop identification and appropriate expression of their emotions.

Music is Stimulating:

Because music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain, music can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for remediation of some speech/language skills.

Music is a Sensory Experience:

Music provides concrete, multi-sensory stimulation (auditory, visual, and tactile). The rhythmic component of music is very organizing for the sensory systems of individuals diagnosed with autism. As a result, auditory processing and other sensory-motor, perceptual/motor, gross and fine motor skills can be enhanced through music therapy.

Music is Structured:

Musical elements and structures provide a sense of security and familiarity in the music therapy setting, encouraging clients to attempt new tasks within this predictable but malleable framework. (source: www.musictherapy.org)

MTEC services many individuals with diagnoses of ASD.

MTEC therapists travel to schools, adult group homes, and a variety of private facilities. We also have many clients that come for individual sessions at MTEC, as well as for piano, guitar and voice lessons. MTEC’s co-directors and therapists have presented countless presentations on the benefits of music therapy with individuals with ASD.

A mother of one of MTEC’s clients with ASD said:

“Jack has responded very positively to music therapy. He receives music therapy at school and privately at home. Although Jack has difficulties with behavior, he is usually very happy and compliant during music therapy. Through music therapy, Jack has increased his expressive language, turn-taking skills, interactions with the therapist, ability to wait and ability to attend for longer periods of time.”

We would love to hear from you about your experiences with music therapy and the diagnosis of ASD. Feel free to leave a comment below!

Music Therapy Month

October is Music Therapy Month in Ohio!

Look back each week for posts about a variety of populations that music therapists serve all over the state.

Some facts about music therapy in Ohio:

• There are approximately 200 music therapists in Ohio (www.musictherapy.org)

• Ohio has over 145 agencies that provide music therapy services to a variety of facilities and clients. (Association of Ohio Music Therapists)

• In 2009, Ohio's music therapists served over 250 facilities and 5,000 clients. (Take a look at some of the facilities MTEC serves here.)

• Ohio has 5 AMTA (American Music Therapy Association) approved schools that offer degrees in Music Therapy: Baldwin Wallace College, Cleveland State University, The College of Wooster, Ohio University and University of Dayton. (Click on each school for a link to their Music Therapy programs!)

What can you do to celebrate Music Therapy Month?

*Print this word search or take a copy in our lobby!

*Check back weekly (or subscribe!) all month for more posts about music therapy in Ohio.

Happy October!