Many music therapists who work with children with autism work on social skills. A lack of social skills is a defining characteristic of autism, displayed by a disinterest in other persons, avoidance of social interaction opportunities, and behaviors related to social avoidance. A new study suggests that social behaviors can be improved with music therapy. Continue reading
The Music “Experience” in Autism
As music therapists we use music as a tool for functional improvements in persons who have disabilities. We recognize that music has value outside of “music therapy treatment” in community, recreation, and worship. Most of us ask our clients about what music therapy listen to; but how often do we stop and ask our clients who have autism “why do you listen to music”? A recent research study did just that. Continue reading
Where’s the evidence? MT for Stroke.
Should we be using music therapy for gait training in persons who have had an acquired brain injury? How about music therapy for arm function, speech production, emotional adjustment? A recent Cochrane Review has shown which of these has more evidence supporting use in clinical practice. Continue reading
Music for Cognition: Temporally Sound
As music therapists we often work on cognitive skills including learning, attention, executive function, etc… The music therapy literature on these skills is in its relative infancy, so you won’t find a lot of empirical evidence directly supporting the use of MT for cognition. However, a recent publication provides some interesting information that will make you think. Continue reading
Mash-up: Singing for Health
Singing is a commonly used tool for meeting non-musical goals in music therapy. We often have people sing for breath support/control, for vocal volume, and for overall respiratory heath. This week I have noticed several articles on the topic of singing for different populations. Find out which ones have found singing to be effective for respiratory functioning in this research mash-up. Continue reading
PECS: Does it Generalize?
As music therapists, many of us utilize the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with our clients who have limited expressive communication skills. A recent study looked at the extent to which this communication system was successfully generalized to the non-treatment environment. Continue reading
Stress, asthma, music, & rats.
Most likely you think that there is no relationship between stress, asthma, music, and rats. In most cases you’d probably be right. But recent research has attempted to determine the effect of “music therapy” on stress responses in rats; in this case rats with asthma. Continue reading
Music Training for Linguistic Abilities
In order to present both sides of the music training for speech and reading argument, I thought I’d comment on another study on this topic. Recent music neuroscience studies have shown that children who are engaged in music are changed by that engagement. For instance, children involved in music programs in school have been shown to have higher standardized test scores (Johnson & Memmot, 2006), children who practice and played piano have higher cortical responses to piano than non-musicians (Pantev et al. 1998), and children trained in music increase gray matter in areas of the motor cortex, auditory cortex, and corpus callosum (Hyde et al. 2009). Continue reading
Music Therapy Promising for Bereavement
Many music therapists work in medical, hospice, and palliative care settings. Within these setting some clinicians may also work in bereavement, helping families and loved ones with grief processes. A new meta-analysis investigated treatment methods for helping children and adolescents who are in bereaved and indicated music therapy as a promising treatment method. Continue reading
Does Music Therapy “Fail” Dyslexia?
After the article in the Science Daily reported that “Music Therapy Fails Dyslexics” there was a flurry of email to my inbox. How could this be true? What did they mean? I have been waiting until I could read the original research article (i.e., the one that is the topic of the above news article) before writing a response. Today, after weeks of waiting, the article has arrived! So, lets take a look and see what this article was all about (read abstract here). Continue reading