Music Therapy  

Music therapy is the clinical and evidenced based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.  It is a well established allied health profession that uses music therapeutically to address behavioral, social, psychological, communicative, physical, sensory motor, and/or cognitive functioning.  Because music therapy is a powerful and non-threatening medium unique outcomes are possible.  For individuals with diagnoses on the autism spectrum, music therapy provides a unique variety of music experiences in an intentional and developmentally appropriate manner, to effect changes in behavior and facilitates developmental skills (American Music Therapy Association).

 Music therapy may include the use of behavioral, biomedical, developmental, educational, humanistic, adaptive music instruction, and/or other models. 

 It is currently being used to:

 -teach literacy through music and computer applications.

-teach emotional identification and expression through improvisation, i.e. music paired with graphics such as PECS or power point slide shows.

-promote greater range of motion and sense of power and control in physically limited students.

-teach new functional behaviors related to activities of daily living (ADLs).

-provide sensory stimulation to help student concentrate and relax.

-teach mathematical concepts through song lyrics and rhythm.

-teach the concept of cause and effect and give student a modicum of control through adaptive switch usage with music.

-promote various physical therapy goals through instrument playing.

-expand range of expression beyond obsessive patterns through theme and variation improvisation.

-promote imitation skills through music games.

-teach music through adaptive instrumentation and scores.

-promote coordination and neurological development through rhythm and movement.

-promote relaxation, coping skills, and positive leisure skills.

-promote reality orientation and socialization through various music activities.

-promote shared focus and attention to task through various musical objectives.

-create a space for the non-threatening practice of articulating new sounds.

-use music as a bridge to connect with those with ASDs in meaningful ways

-allow for mastery of skill and performance to promote self esteem and self expression

-work from and add to the research literature on music therapy intervention

-create developmentally appropriate goals that synchronize with IEP objectives

-create a variety of interventions using music in various ways and aimed at development in various IEP domain areas

-coordinate with family and other professionals regarding student progress

-promote communication and socialization through music improvisation and various music activities

-maintain professional certification through continuing education

In effect, music therapy is one of the most flexible interventions available to achieve life goals via nontraditional methods.  It especially allows individuals with the most severe communicative, cognitive, and physical impairments to achieve those goals.

           Promoting shared focus through drumming activity            Modeling and Imitation of articulation

Modeling the melody to be imitated