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Post by momofrussell on Feb 17, 2005 20:46:33 GMT -5
I need info if you will for those of you who's kids have music therapy....k? When requesting music therapy was it requested by you or the school/therapist, ect...? When it was requested, was it something of a form that JUST the school (or whomever) filled out? Did you have to fill out some kind of questionaire also? Did you or the teachers, ect have to fill out anything at all? IF you had to personally had to fill out part of the paperwork that involved questions... what types of questions were on the form? AND... what DO they do in music therapy with your child? Is it group or 1:1 or both? I will post why I am asking this later.... thanks for all your help.  A. |
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Post by Staci on Feb 18, 2005 15:18:20 GMT -5
I would love for Aidan to be in music therapy...he absolutely is CRAZY about his music and seems to learn so quickly when things are set to music. I need to learn more about it and see if they offer something like this around here. That would be so awesome! He would love it!
Staci
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Post by wrblack on Feb 18, 2005 16:31:13 GMT -5
I don't know if this qualifies as music therapy the way you're talking about it. But Charlie has Music once a week. I'm not sure, but I think all the kids in the special ed elementary school where he is get Music once a week.
There were no forms to fill out. It's just part of the curriculum at his school. Music teacher did a short presentation at back to school night on what they did and what other programs they offer, chorus, choir, bell choir.
I just think of it as part of the package. Charlie goes to gym once a week and gets PT the other four days. He also gets speech therapy in the classroom most every day but also goes to the ST's office for small group or one on one sessions.
Charlie likes music. Lynn and I were told that Charlie and the other five little boys in his class really enjoyed the Holiday Dance at school just before Christmas break. Two or three of his classmates have CP and are even less mobile than Charlie. So, we would've liked to have seen the Valentine's Dance last week but weren't invited and didn't ask to attend. Maybe I should check his schedule and the school calendar and find out more about things musical at school. -- Cheers, Bob
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Post by PaigesMom on Feb 18, 2005 16:53:15 GMT -5
Paige has "music therapy". She goes once per week. She had it once per week when she was in home based Early Intervention. She'll be 5 in a few months. When she went to preschool I requested it verbally, just as I requested continued PT, OT, speech. They wrote it into her IEP. There were no questions - she learns well through music and they said it could continue thru early intervention until she went to Kindergarten. I am keeping her in pre K preschool thru age 5-6, so she'll start Kindergarted @ 6 1/2 and then once in the school district, it would have to be paid for by me as they dont offer it. ( I guess just a simple music class - although I'm sure it's not exactly the same)
What do they do in class? They learn with song. They sing, they do fingerplays, they learn body parts, pronunciation of words, different concepts (hot/cold, big/little,) pronouns, etc. by songs that emphasize those things. Some are 'real' songs, most are made up by the music therapist. They also learn listening skills (ie. one song is about marching, they sing "marching marching marching and STOP" - everyone has to stop - then when the music starts they start marching or jumping or whatever the music therapists says to do) They play duck duck goose - it's very interactive, working on social skills as well as cognitive function - IEP goals.
I think it is fabulous.
Let me know if you have any more questions, I can post a song if you wish so you can 'see' kind of what I mean - it's hard to explain in words - hope this helps.
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Post by meghans_mom on Feb 18, 2005 19:29:10 GMT -5
I'm not sure if what MM has is classified as music therapy per se...she goes twice a week - similar to what Paige's mom described.
We didn't request it formally, it's part of her cirriculum (sp?) in preschool (which is a preschool for kids w/ DS)
It's not part of her IEP or IFSP or whatever I-thingie were at at this point :-)
sorry...not too helpful am I?
laurie
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Post by Jessie on Feb 18, 2005 23:33:02 GMT -5
We don't believe that Jason has a music class at school - they just practiced songs for the Christmas party they had. Although he likes music I can see him not participating in a music class even if he did have one. He's not a very social butterfly when it comes to participation in group activities at school.
He loves to sing when we are in the car though. Which is cute since he is fairly non-verbal. But man, when a song from the Lion King comes on, he goes nuts! He starts yelling KING, KING, KING!! I'm a little nervous to take him to see the play the Lion King when it comes to E. Lansing next year - he will probably be yelling through the whole thing ;D.
It's so funny when we are in the car and there is a song he doesn't like to hear (or maybe he just doesn't like me singing along - LOL ;D). I was a little obsessed with the Oklahoma soundtrack for a while and he HATED it when I would play that CD. Guess my little guy isn't quite into broadway show tunes yet!
Jessie
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Post by momofrussell on Feb 19, 2005 9:53:33 GMT -5
Not "MUSIC" that you get with your curriculum at school.. this is a therapy... Music Therapy.. it is above and beyond school stuff... it usually has to be requested because it is a therapy.
A.
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Post by PaigesMom on Feb 19, 2005 19:35:24 GMT -5
A. Paige DOES have Music Therapy - it IS above and beyond any school cirriculum. This is her music therapists website: www.beckydegansongs.comDebbie |
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Post by momofrussell on Feb 19, 2005 20:24:50 GMT -5
Debbie LOL.. that was NOT towards you! Silly girl. I was just clarifying since I got the impression I may have not been clear to others... you answered what I needed... I was just hoping to get more help here. I posted on the other board I go to and didn't get a response yet. (it is the weekend and boards are slow). I need to scan and post the form they gave me. I went through this a few months ago and well, Russell got denied.. no biggy. I really didn't care. BUT, his teacher really seems to think he NEEEEEEDS this, as so does the Music Therapist.. but this form!!! MY GOSH! It is NOT geared for mom's who are lazy LMAO! Debbie, since you seem to have this therapy maybe you can help me with the form. I told them I already answered the stuff on this form and well, unless I LIE (which I am not going to do), my answers would still be the same and that is one of the reasons he didn't qualify. Since all other therapies are requested and monitored BY the therapists and others usually, I am dumbfounded by this form and why *I* am in the loop in something that I really shouldn't be... since they obviously are watching him at school and seeing he needs this. Hey..Debbie, maybe you can PM me your email addy even? A. |
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Post by meghans_mom on Feb 19, 2005 21:21:14 GMT -5
A - I was pretty sure what MM rec'd wasnt the same type of music therapy you were thinking of, her music therapist is licensed teacher-therapist but they don't use the same techniques as actual music therapy, even though it is learning thru music and movement....anyways - i found 2 websites. one has a definition of music therapy for anyone interested: www.coastmusictherapy.com/odefinition.htmlthis second might be helpful to you A - www.musictherapy.org/factsheets/specialed.htmlit has a fact sheet for reasons music therapy is needed and why it can be helpful. you might be able to use some of this wording in your request or whatever. Some other good info as well. there's a place by me who does this sort of therapy and i was trying to find the website but can't remember the name...they are supposed to have excellent outcomes and there are testimonials on the site which i thought might be helpful as well. if i come acros it i'll post. best of luck! laurie |
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Post by Claire on Feb 20, 2005 0:08:09 GMT -5
Adam started music therapy at 3. Basically our therapist used to come to our home about once a mth. Now I use my guitar and do some songs with him about numbers, letters and so on and he still enjoys it.
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Post by PaigesMom on Feb 20, 2005 10:12:04 GMT -5
A. - lol,
No, I know, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't miss what *I* was saying about Paige's music therapy. I know some of the other responses were just about Music in the cirriculum, and not about music therapy, per se.
I'd be glad to help you or at least look at the form. It's crazy that they're making you jump thru hoops like that, and for the life of me I cant understand *WHY* they wouldn't think Russell qualified based on not only the DS, but his other diagnosises as well. Hmmmmmmm...
Anyway, I PM'd you my email.
Debbie
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Post by momofrussell on Feb 20, 2005 11:18:15 GMT -5
Thanks Laurie and Debbie. Debbie, when I get a free moment (might be tomorrow, monday) I will scan and email you.. I will post the sheet here too just so all can see.
Well, when it comes to school age kids, SOME Diagnosises alone don't qualify your child. You have to show "need", if that makes sense? Like, they test your child around 5 or 6 to see where they are at to see what they "qualify" for. So, his DX of DS, Autism and VI alone doesn't qualify him for Music Therapy. There has to be some significant difference in the child's learning and behavior WITH music, as opposed to without. The MT and his teacher do NOT doubt this is what he needs, and if it was qualified like other therapies, he would have already been receiving it. But since *I* have to fill out the form also based on MY observations (ask me if I play enough music at home to quantify this LOL), they throw that into the mix of getting the MT services or not.
Strange.. but that is how our district does the MT services. We have a place called Special School District which provides and pays for all our spec ed teachers, therapists, SE staff, ect... for a few St Louis County school districts, and they govern the therapies, not the schools directly, so that is thrown into the mix too. I have never been denied ANYTHING for Russell and actually, Russell gets twice as many minutes at school for therapies then the other kids because of his DX's. I never had been offered MT before and when we got denied the first time it really didn't bother me either way. I was happy with what Russell was getting before the MT was offered and I really didn't know what all MT was all about, so, I just left it alone....
But I guess his teacher and MT think we need to go for it again. I laughed and told the MT that if my answered changed on the new form they'd know I already did the form before and my answers were different. Like I was TRYING to beat the system to get Russell MT, you know? And I am not about doing that. But the MT said not to worry and to fill out the form again...
Laurie, thanks for those links, I will check them out when I get a chance...
A.
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