Music Therapy????

[christie]

Just wondering if any of you have or had done any kind of Music Therapy with your kids?? Just today I was reminded how well Chris says words when he sings more then when he is just talking, Hmmmmm Not sure what is up with that?? I was also reminded how OFF TUNE he is LOLOL, but that is another post If I remember right there is some kind of music therapy out there, does anyone know??

THANKS in advance for any info and sorry if this is a repeat ? Some days I am the Queen of CRC Club

CC

[JonInIowaCity]

My boy did it for a couple years and really benefitted from it. We used it to complement his speech therapy services. Additionally, it was a great medium for teaching him other things that he was having the worst time with before using more conventional teaching tools: like being able to recite our phone number.

[alisonzmom]

CC,

While Alison isn't getting music therapy at this time, her ST has mentioned several times about requesting it when her next IFSP is due ( NOV.). She's here tomorrow so IF, and boy oh boy is that a really big IF, I remember I'll ask her more about it. She has suggested it for Alison because Alison just gets so much more responsive when there is any kind of music involved! Alison had us in stitches earlier today... I was in cleaning mode and had some of my Bob Marley blaring... well, Alison was sitting there bopping her head and swaying back and forth all the while clapping and laughing! I don't know how she didn't topple over with all she had going on! She certainly doesn't get her coordination from me - I can barely walk and talk at the same time lately!!!

Anyway, I'll let ya know what else I learn from the ST!

Barb

[Tammy]

Christie...
Lewis attended a couple of Music Therapy sessions when we were living in the city. They were a lot of fun, for the kids and for the parents.
They were run as group therapy sessions, with about 7 kids with varying disabilities from DS to CP and Autism.
And ages ranging from 9months (Lewis) to 3 years.
We had a "Music Therapist" who sat with us in a circle and sang and played Guitar. We did lots of songs with actions, and that encouraged kids to join in. All songs we know.
We no longer have access to that program....BUT... I coach Kinder-Gym 2 mornings a week and I always finish my sessions with a 10 minute sing along, using lots of action songs. The kids LOVE it...and more join in then than through the Gym session!!
Lewis likes to round up all the kids, he ushers them to our circle area and sits them all down... he is soooo cute!! But he LOVES the music part too much to wait for them!!

[christie]

THANKS guys for your input just wondering is there a name to this therapy or is it just known as "music therapy" ? Is it run by a speech therapist?? Is it only for tiny ones? Any and all info you can share would be GREAT ;D

Even thou Chris is now 11, I do think this may help him

CC ~

[JonInIowaCity]

Music therapy is called "music therapy". One goes through special training and licensing in order to become a music therapist.

I've seen music therapy practiced in a variety of settings (in groups and with invidual clients; and with children ranging from 2 years-old to adulthood). Music therapists work with the parents and the clients to assess and identify problem areas (usually speech related, but also issues related to being responsive to the therapist, learning specific bits of repetitive information--like the phone number in our situation; or learning ways to interact safely with others). Essentially, music therapy is essentially a therapeutic process that uses music as a tool to teach.

[Emilysmom]

Christie,
Check out this website:

www.musictherapy.org/

Or, you might check out Kindermusik (or Kindermusic). I've had friends whose kids LOVED this...just not sure of the ages, etc.

Susan

[jeannette]

I haven't read anything on music therapy but I do know that music is good for brain development. We let MeKyah listen to Mosaic almost everyday. She really likes it. She sings herself to sleep sometimes and I feel it's helped with her babbling. She babbles all the time. She say's da da, ba ba, and na na. Ma ma only comes out some of the times. Everything else we can't make out but she's saying something. She's been listening to music since she was 6 weeks old. So without reading anything on actual music therapy, I can say that it is a good thing.

Jeannette
mom to MeKyah(10 mths-ds)

[momofrussell]

We (school and I) just filled out the paper work to see if Russell qualifies for Music Therapy. I am hoping he does. The questionaire was more for teachers and thepists in a school type setting so it wasn't anything I could answer.. so I had to just write on the back that Russell would benefit from it. LOL...

Hopefully we will hear something soon about it and I will let you all know how it is working. He has never had Music Therapy before.

A.

[Staci]

This is definitely something Aidan would LUV! He is the music KING! LOL He can jam out to just about anything...he MUST have music on allll of the time...he loves to rock out! I'll have to check into this. I wonder if they have this at his school? I've never heard of anything mentioned...hmmmmm...I'll have to check into it! He would love it!

Staci

[PaigesMom]

Paige has been in music therapy, essentially from birth. We were very lucky that her home based special ed teacher was also a music therapist who incorporated that into her weekly routine, and as she got older, about 10 months she also went to an additional class, with typical kids. Now I take both of my kids.

My impression is that this has helped her speech tremendously and I would recommend it to anyone at any age!!

Debbie

[maryen]

My daughter is 13 years old and has been attending private one on one music therapy sessions for over a year now. She goes once a week to her teachers home where she has a music studio set up with every musical instrument you could imagine and for a half hour they work on beats,notes ,tone and rythems. They do alot of singing together.Marissa loves to go and has improved her musical skills-she is becoming a very good piano player! I pay for the lessons myself-I could get my Regional Center to pay but hate paper work so it is worth it to me to pay out of pocket-She charges $25 for the lesson.Her teacher is a early intervention music therapist in the mornings and then in the afternoons conducts the private lessons in he home. My case manager turned me onto her . It is awesome! Go for it with your son.

[Claire]

Adam is 6 and we did the music therapy for 2 years. We still do it but without a proffessional therapist. I just get my guitar out and he is ready to go.
It has done wonders for his speech but also for his coordination (as he cannot sing and not dance at the same time, hee,hee. We we're able to teach him with music therapy certain things like: on top of, under, on the side and so on.
I say it was a great thing. But then I love music and signing. I used to teach my second oldest now 23 all his verbs and things for exam with a song. It worked wonderful. The only thing is that while he was writing the test he had to remember not to hum. Hee,hee

[MaggiesMom]

Maggie went to Kindermusic last year and loved it. It's for many ages...birth to like 10 I think.

The nice thing is it wasn't language essential. We listened, which is a huge component they teach, and danced and moved to music. They played instruments, read books and even did crafts during the summer.

It is a lot of fun. The photo I put in the very first month of the photo album has Maggie in her music class. It's hilarious.

Our OT just asked us about music therapy. She's bringing more info next week. I'll let you know what she says.

See ya - Robin M

[momofrussell]

We got our letter last week that Russell did NOT qualify for Music Therapy through the school district. I really don't care either way, but what I find interesting is the questionaire I told you all about. I mean, it was very obvious that they wanted to know how Russell stayed on task and functioned with and without music.

SO.. if a child had no experience with "tasking" with music so teachers can observe them.. .they wouldn't get an accurate acct of how the child would do.

I know that in his class last year and this year they only play music at "music time" and they dance.. so how can they really know how well the kids do when doing tasks.

Oh well. Russell is doing well regardless but I thought that was interesting how they "scored" things.

A.