Special Needs Learning Hub
Our intent is to provide the latest and greatest info on music therapy with children, teens, and adults. If you have a question you would like to see answered here, don’t hesitate to ask!

Music Therapy Funding Sources for Parents
It can be really difficult to find a funding source, such as a grant, to use for music therapy. While a quick Google search may bring up some hopeful leads, as you dig in you…
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The Impact of Music on Speech Therapy
For many decades, music has been an important part of daily care for children with speech impediments and hearing-impaired children. There have been a lot of studies that examine the role of music in people’s…
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The Right Tools: How Music Therapy Can Make All the Difference
Sometimes having the right tools makes all the difference in getting where you want to go. This is especially true with music therapy. We have umbrella trees that need to be trimmed down to little…
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Music Therapy Success Stories: 9 Year Old with Autism Communicates Emotions
Music Therapy success stories are an everyday experience for us, but we realize that most people are not aware of the impact music therapy has on the lives of so many kids with Autism. So…
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Overcoming the Power Struggle: Parent-Child Bonding Through Music
The importance of playing with our kids cannot be overstated. Play is the foundation of connection for a child, and the more connected a child feels the less often power struggles arise. But it can…
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How Music Therapy Helped a Girl Who Was Deaf Blind with Down Syndrome
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…
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Outcomes, Benefits and Drawbacks of Music Therapy with Special Needs Children
Music therapy is a motivating and refreshing way to special needs children make much needed progress. Here’s a bit on the outcomes, benefits, and drawbacks of music therapy. Common Outcomes of Music Therapy Music reaches SO…
Read More »(Video) Requesting “More”: How a song can help your child communicate
Many children with communication delays have difficulty making their wants and needs known. Music is an effective and memorable way for children to learn how to make requests. In this video, Cassie demonstrates how implementing…
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How Rhythm Helped a Boy Go From Saying 1 to 6 Words At a Time
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…
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Two Barriers to Music Therapy in Special Education
Music therapy is grossly underutilized in special education settings across the country, but most especially in Utah. Here’s why. Even though students show significant progress with music therapy as a related service, only a handful…
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What Early Intervention Programs Are Saying About Music Therapy
We LOVE working with Early Intervention programs in Utah. The kids progress, the programs get awesome feedback from parents, and it is a cost effective way to serve children with IFSP’s. We have worked…
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What Can Music Therapy Do? (Autism Edition)
What can music therapy do for kids with Autism? With a focus on emotional regulation, social skills, language development, and cognitive development, we discover new strengths and help them do things they may not have…
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6 Signs that Music Therapy Is (or Is Not) Right for Your Child
You’ve heard rumblings about it. You’ve researched what it is. And now you’re wondering if music therapy is really the right thing for YOUR child with special needs. So here’s a little self assessment to help…
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Music Therapy in Early Intervention: Case Study with a 2 Year old Boy with Seizures
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.…
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What is music therapy and how does it work?
What is music therapy and how does it work? Good question. Here’s a simple answer. This is a somewhat difficult question to answer because music therapy can look very different based on who you’re helping.…
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The Power of Collaboration: Speech and Music Therapy
Power comes with collaboration. Speech and Music Therapy fit together beautifully! Here’s how. Speech therapy is a well known and typically well understood approach to help children with special needs develop language. Music therapy, however,…
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3 Ways Music Therapy Helps Autism
Can music therapy help Autism? The answer is a resounding YES! When somebody asks me how music therapy helps someone with Autism I like to break it down to highlight the most common needs for…
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Getting the Words Out: Using Music to Develop Speech
Does your child struggle to get words out? Do they know what they want to say but can’t form the words? Perhaps this will help. Kids develop speech in a fairly predictable manner, with certain…
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Following Directions: How Music Can Help Your Child Hear & Understand
For kids who have a hard time hearing and responding when you give them directions, adding a little music or rhythm can help increase the likelihood that they will get the message. So often as…
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Top Five Instruments To Use At Home with the Little Ones
Want to create more music at home with your child? Here are our Top 5 favorite instruments for quick at-home play, most of which are $8 or less! Often times people wonder, “what can I…
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Top 6 Reasons Parents Hire a Music Therapist
If you’ve ever wondered what music therapy is and if it would really help your child, you’re not alone. We’ve outlined a few of the reasons why parents hire a Music Therapist to give you a better…
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If Speech Therapists Help With Speech, Music Therapists Help With…Music?
Have you ever heard the term “music therapy” and wondered what it meant? Well, you’re not alone. The concept of music therapy can be tricky to grasp when you compare it to other mainstream therapies. Speech…
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Helping a Boy with Williams Syndrome: Speech & Music Therapy Collaboration
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…
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A Picture of Music Therapy
Oh, the power of music therapy! As the sun begins to rise over the mountains, a small child peeks through the blinds, anxiously awaiting her arrival. Where will they go on their adventures today? To…
Read More »Quiz: How Much Will Music Therapy Help Your Child?
If you’ve ever wondered whether it would be worth the effort to get your child involved in music therapy, wonder no more! This quiz is designed to assess the potential benefits of music therapy for…
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Early Childhood: The importance of singing with your children
Whether you have a stellar voice or not, your child wants you to sing! Learn more about using music at home with your child. If there is one thing I cannot emphasize enough about using music…
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Teaching Early Intervention Parents to Use Music at Home
One of the key elements of early intervention services is empowering parents with skills to help their child at home. Music should be one of those skills! One of the benefits of utilizing music therapy in early…
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Two Powerful Ways to Utilize Music Therapy in Early Intervention
Music therapy is a powerful way to help kids make significant progress in the early years. And getting started may be much easier than you think. If you are reading this you have most likely heard…
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A Developmental “Boost”: Rationale for Music Therapy in Early Intervention
Children respond to music, plain and simple. What parents and providers may not know is that music therapy can play a significant role in early intervention to help a child reach his or her potential. Whether you have a child who…
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Music Therapy Success Stories with Special Needs Children
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…
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