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 idea of why it is so appealing.

#1 My kid responds so well to music!

One of the #1 reasons parents call us to schedule a consultation or assessment is because they see the power of music in the life of their child. Many will say “my kid responds so well to music! This therapy seems like it could really help him.”

The thing is, all kids respond to music. There’s a whole range of physiological reasons for that, one of them being that our bodies are literally wired to respond to music (assuming wires can be compared to neurons!). So these parents are right on when they notice positive reactions to music, and they move forward with the intuition that applying music as a therapy will help their child make meaningful progress. They hire a Music Therapist.

And they are not disappointed.

#2 Music gets my child’s attention

It is not at all uncommon for a child to pay more attention to music than to people talking to them. It is simply more interesting! We utilize this natural attention-getter in therapy and help kids increase attention span, work on therapeutic goals, and even teach parents simple tricks to get their child’s attention using music.

#3 My child engages more with music

Because music is naturally motivating, we often see kids engage and attend and become more involved in the music therapy setting than they might be in other settings. Especially when paired with the expertise of a qualified therapist, making music and creating songs and activities is an exciting, engaging, and therapeutic process. The child doesn’t even realize that he/she is working, and the result is that he/she makes powerful changes.

#4 I’ve heard music therapy can help with XYZ

We are still working to spread the word about what exactly music therapy can do, but parents are starting to hear more and more about it and they call asking if we can really work on XYZ, and if so, how we do it. Some of the areas we can address include social skills, attention, memory, speech/language, communication, motor skills, behaviors, and emotional regulation. Because music is all-encompassing, there is really so much that it can do! And there are so many ways to do it.

#5 I want my child to be involved in a group or class

Music therapy is a great way to help kids work on social skills, and we often pair kids together to do just that. Kids in music therapy groups learn to create music together and have fun dancing, playing, and engaging with their peers through music. We keep our groups small (no more than 5 kids) and design every activity to address therapeutic goals for each child, so they work while they play!

#6 Music calms my child

Music is calming for children because it is predictable, familiar, and comforting. Music Therapists can utilize this calming effect to help a child learn to self regulate and can even give parents ideas on how to use music to promote a calm atmosphere at home.

The Takeaway

Whatever your reason for seeking our a Music Therapist, music therapy is an effective and powerful way to help children progress. Whether your child has special needs, an official diagnosis, or is simply acting in ways that are concerning to you as a parent, music therapy is a fun, engaging, and innovative way to address those challenges.

By the way, we offer a FREE 30 minute consultation!

During the consultation you meet 1:1 with one of our therapists to ask anything you’d like, get information on what we offer, and even see music therapy in action with your child.

Sign up today and start seeing results!

Schedule My FREE Consultation!

And if you’re not sure whether music therapy is the right path for you, take our FREE QUIZ to find out!

TAKE THE QUIZ: WILL MUSIC THERAPY BENEFIT MY CHILD?