Scholarships

Your child will feel a sense of accomplishment as he or she experiences successes in the music therapy setting. Learning to play a drum, creating his or her own unique sounds, singing without restraint, or feeling a connection with a parent or therapist can all help your child feel confident and successful.

Music accesses all of the emotion centers in the brain, and can therefore help to develop skills in managing those emotions. This may manifest itself in using songs for relaxation/cool down, expressing feelings of frustration on a drum, or even writing songs (with or without words) to express emotions. The music therapist can also help develop your child develop positive coping skills such as counting to 10 or taking a break by putting the skill into a song.

Holding a mallet to play a drum, stomping feet or jumping along to music, or extending a finger to stroke the guitar strings are just a few examples of how music therapy can help develop motor skills. Because music is inherently motivating, addressing physical needs often becomes like a game and the child doesn’t even realize how hard he or she is working!

Social skills are often lacking or under developed for those with special needs, and music is a fantastic setting in which to develop them. Playing together as a group, waiting turns to play, engaging in group games, increasing awareness of others (including parents and the therapist), and simple give and take are all skills that are naturally embedded in music experiences. The music therapist can address basic social skills in the 1:1 setting, then recommend groups for practical application.

Most children attend to music and musical toys more than other sources (such as books, toys, etc.). In music therapy we use this to the child’s advantage by designing interventions to help them lengthen their attention span during the session. As their brain becomes accustomed to longer focus, they will be able to attend better in other areas.

Music Therapy targets communication goals in a fun and motivating way. Through playing voice/wind instruments (such as the kazoo or recorder), singing, and communicating during sessions, your child may improve articulation, breath control/support, vocabulary, and overall language development. He or she may also learn to use adapted communication systems such as picture schedules, PECS, or increase verbal communication with music as a natural motivator.