As the years have gone by I have learned a great deal from my clients and have developed a pretty solid foundation of intervention ideas. I should mention that I also have another foundation of ideas that have not gone so well. I have grown and changed in the way I think about goals and..
Raising kids is hard enough as it is. Comparing our kids to others makes it even harder. Instead of comparing, celebrate the diversity in your child! Since becoming a parent, I’ve learned how natural it is to want your child to achieve every milestone “on schedule”. Crawling by 7 months, walking by 12 months, so..
I’ve written before about how much I love both the Neurologic Music Therapy approach as well as the Improvisational Music Therapy model. I feel that both are incredibly valuable and in no way mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe that understanding how music impacts the brain can be a strong and effective guide for improvisation..
Finding the right motivator is key in working with early childhood. Bubbles may be just the trick! I’ve recently fallen in love with bubbles. Well one particular brand of bubbles, actually: Tootle Turtle. These are seriously the most amazing bubbles I have ever used, and in the last few months I’ve gone through 3 different brands between..
Early Childhood is a crucial time for development. Let music be a part of it for your child! We are currently restructuring our early childhood music therapy groups! Up until now the groups have been focused on individuals with disabilities, but we are now inviting children of all abilities to participate and interact with one..
An understanding of sensory processes is crucial in Autism treatment. One must meet sensory needs first–learn why and how! I admit I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to sensory integration. Last summer when my friends were reading books like the Hunger Games and other fun novels I was digging in and loving “Sensory Integration and..
Special Education becomes much more difficult when a student struggles to follow directions. Learning to balance free exploration with intentional directives can make all the difference. I find that in my work in special education it can be easy to get caught up in wanting to accomplish something “amazing” and to stick only to my..
As a music therapist, I am trained in how to use musical improvisation in the moment to meet my client’s needs. And really, that’s one of the main things that sets a music therapist apart from a performer or educator–our training helps us be aware of needs and adjust our “plans” accordingly. I remember learning..
Music therapy can help special needs children learn to identify, express, and control their emotions. I was recently presenting at a conference and had a parent ask whether I can use music to help with emotional regulation for special needs children. I figured I could share my response here as well for any other parents..
Music Therapy can provide a significant source of motivation in Autism treatment. Find out how: For a child with Autism, learning to communicate is a significant barrier. Not only does the child have difficulty knowing how to communicate, but often they are so involved in their own world that they have difficult finding the motivation to communicate. This..