Welcome to the Case Studies Learning Hub!
The magic of music therapy comes from the little moments--the times when a child says her first word, a boy reaches out to play the guitar when nothing else could soothe him, or a man is able to express his inner turmoil by playing it out on the guitar.
Music Therapy is truly amazing, and here you can learn about those small but significant moments that we experience with our clients every day.
Avery was a spirited, curious, delightful ball of energy. She loved to explore the world around her and feel things with her hands–at least for a split second before throwing an object across the room to give it the thrill of flight. Avery was blind, deaf, and had Down syndrome and Autism. Despite her physical and..
Our Music Therapists have meaningful experiences every day when working with their clients. We’ve decided to share a few of those experiences to help paint a picture of music therapy. Making a Lasting Impact through Songwriting I find music therapy rewarding for a lot of different reasons. Probably the most rewarding one is when I..
Music can help kids memorize more than just the ABC’s. In this case, music therapy helped a girl with a seizure disorder learn her address in a fraction of the time it took without music. Several years ago I worked with a teenage girl with a seizure disorder and developmental delays. I provided music therapy..
Tommy was one of the most friendly, talkative, and animated students I’d ever worked with–an absolute delight! I thought he would made a great Captain Hook for our school musical, but I was surprised when I discovered his unique challenge. School musicals at Jordan Valley were quite the production. We were made up of 150..
The use of music during a procedure can reduce the tactile neurons to help the patient experience less pain. Here’s a little bit about how and why it works. Sitting up in bed, her eyes were locked on mine as she mouthed the words, “West Virginia, Mountain Mama”. The music therapist stood bedside as the..
Music attached sound to his feelings, and in doing so it pulled the intensity of emotion out from inside of him, giving him a moment of peace. He asked if he could play a song he wrote on the guitar. Relieved at the chance to make music, he pulled the strap over his shoulders and stood to play. Admitted..
In music therapy we were able to celebrate and maximize what this boy COULD do rather than focus on his disabilities. During music therapy he connected with his peers and showcased more of his true self. The director of an early intervention program approached me about adding an additional student to our music therapy group. The..
Music Therapy plays a significant role in the development of children with special needs. Here’s how it helped “ignite” the brain of a little boy with Down syndrome. During a trial session a mother of a young boy with Down’s syndrome was skeptical about pursuing music therapy services. Having a background in special education, she..
Speech Therapy and Music Therapy blend together beautifully. Using them in tandem can help children make significant progress! I got a call a few months ago from a Speech Therapist who was working with a 3 year old boy with Williams Syndrome. He was nonverbal and had frequent meltdowns during speech therapy, making it difficult..
Children with special needs make significant gains with music therapy. Here are a few examples. In all honesty, “Music Therapy Success Stories” is a hard subject for a post–and not because the stories are hard to find. Quite the contrary, actually. There are thousands and thousands of touching stories of music therapy with special needs children that..