Social skills are often a key element of Autism treatment, and music therapy is a powerful way to develop them. As a music therapist my Autism treatment goals fall under the standard domains of cognition, social skills, motor development, emotional regulation, and/or communication. Among these domains, social skills has always been a point of fascination..
For a long time I thought I was a rare breed. I loved and adored the Nordoff-Robbins approach to music therapy and utilized improvisation-based techniques in many of my sessions with great success. At the same time I was also very drawn to learning about neurological processes and how music supports and accesses certain areas..
A quick look at some highlights of music therapy My friend and fellow student Brandon Moore created this video while we were studying music therapy up at Utah State. I’ve always loved it and hope you enjoy!
Have you ever found yourself listening to music to influence your emotion? Whether it was to augment what you were already feeling or to change what you were feeling, we all have experience with turning to music as a way to cope. I have found this to be especially true with teenagers, where music is a..
Understanding what can go wrong with sensory integration is crucial in Autism treatment. Here is a simple explanation. My previous post on this topic focused on defining two senses which are often overlooked: proprioceptive and vestibular. The hope in defining those essential senses is that you as a parent or practitioner will have a more concrete view..
A fun and engaging song to use in early childhood settings! This is one of my absolute favorite finger play songs to use in early childhood (it’s tied with the Monkey and Alligator game:), and kids absolutely love it! I first found it on songsforteaching.com as recorded by Jim Rule (find the recording here) and I..
Anyone providing Autism treatment must be aware of sensory processing that occurs beyond the five basic senses. Learning about the proprioceptive and vestibular senses makes all the difference! We all grow up learning about the 5 senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. I remember seeing fun little diagrams with pictures of a hand with..
Early childhood is a critical time for learning and growth. Parents can help their children develop by using music with them at home. Here are some ideas! One of the most important parts of my job is giving parents practical ideas on how to use music in the home to help their children progress in..
I like to start out my children’s groups with movement songs (after the hello song) in order to help my clients get out some energy, connect with each other, and jump right in to working on their goals. I’ve included my top ten favorites below. A lot of the goals I work on with these..
Communication is a common need for special education students. Here is one example of how a music therapist can help! I wrote this Thank You Song several years ago to address one of my student’s signing goals in special education. Since then it has become a favorite and is a great way to teach the concept of saying thank..