Runninghead:MUSICTHERAPY

MusicTherapycanhelpparentandchildbonding,communicationskills,andalsohelpchildren
buildhealthyrelationshipevenwhenthechildfacesdisabilities.

005569128
WestminsterChoirCollegeofRiderUniversity

MUSICTHERAPY

Whenparentshaveachilddiagnosedwithautism,achildbornprematurelyorhavea
childwhohaveattachmentissuesitcanleadtobondingproblemsbetweenthechildandtheir
parents.Thisobstaclecanmakeithardonboththeparentandchild.Peoplewhoarediagnosed
withmentaldisabilitiesoftenhavetroublecommunicatingandexpressingtheiremotionsin
socialsituations.Theymaynotbeabletovoicetheirwantsandneeds,showanemotional
connectorconveytheirfeelingsproperly.Thiscancausethechildtohavetroublemaintaining
healthyfriendshipsandrelationships.Inthesecasesboththechildandparentsareaffected.
Childrenexperiencesocialandbehavioralissuesthathindertheminlife,whileparentsarefaced
withworryingabouttheirchildren'shealthandwellbeing.
Mostchildrenwithdisabilitiesareprescribedmedicationthathavemultiplesideeffects
andmostarentevenapprovedbytheFDA.ResearchersfromAutismSpeaksstatesThese
medicinesdonotworkforeveryone,andallmedicineshavesideeffects.Andasnotedabove,
eachpersonmayresponddifferentlytomedicines,thereforemanyfamilieshaveturnedtoturned
toMusicTherapy.Ithasbeenshowntobeapositivewaytohelptheirchildgrowsocially,
physicallyandmentally.
RecentstudieshaveshownhowFamilyMusicTherapyisalsoverybeneficialfora
familywhoislookingtoconnectonamoreemotionallevelwiththeirchild.Theideaoffamily
basedmusictherapyhasbeenshowntohaveapositiveimpactonbothchildandcaregiver.
Familybasedmusictherapyhasbeenencouragedsincethe1990s.Therapysessionsareoften
conductedatthefamily'shometokeepthechildreninacomfortableenvironment.(Thompson

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2012)Thesessionsarealsoputintothechildandfamily'sdailyroutine,becauseitpromotes
socialinteractionandengagementespeciallywhenworkingwithayoungautisticchild.
ThompsonstatesTheactiveparticipationofparentsintheirchild'stherapyhasthe
potentialtosupportthedevelopmentofinterpersonalengagementbetweenparentandchild.
(Thompson2012)Increasecontactonatherapeuticlevelenablesboththeparentschildtobe
involvedintheprocess,thereforestrengthenstheemotionalbond,becausetheyareengagingin
activityasateam.

ThepositivebondingeffectsareshownwhenThompsonbringsupacasestudyabouta
youngautisticboynamedIvan.Hereallylovedwhenhismotherwouldplaytheslidewhistlein
histherapysession.InthiscasethemusictherapistencouragedIvan'smothertofacehersonand
makemoreeyecontactwhenplaying.Themusictherapiststartedseeingadeeperconnection
betweenmotherandson.Hementionsthattheywouldlaugh,smileandmakeeyecontactduring
thisactivity.Inafutureinterviewwiththemothershetellsthetherapisthowshelovedplaying
theslidewhistlewithhim,andreallyenjoyedtheeyecontactthatmade.
Shecontinuesexplaininghowitreallymadeherfeelspecial.Amotheralsoexpressedher
happinessbytellingresearchersthatitmadeherseehersoninadifferentlight.Shefurther
explainsthehowtherapysessionsmadeherseeaboywhohappyandfree.Musictherapyhas
nowgiventhismotheranewoutlookonherson,withoutthesesessionsherandhersoncould
haveneverexperiencedthatbondingmoment.
Evidencefroma10weekmusictherapyprogramcalledSing&Grow.(Nicholson
2008)wasaprogramandstudymadetocreatehealthierrelationshipsbetweenchildrenand

MUSICTHERAPY

parent,promotepositiveparentingandchildhooddevelopment.Thestudyconsistedof358
parentswithchildrenrangingfromages05.45.9%oftheparentshadadisabledchild.Before
the10weekprogrambeganresearchersaskedparentstomeasuretheirchild'stemper,
communicationskillsandsocialskills.
Throughoutthe10weekstheparentandchildparticipatedinmusictherapyactivities
thatwerebasedondevelopmentandlanguageskills.Forexamplesomesongswereusedtohelp
instructparentsinteractwiththeirchild,whileothersongshelpedwithbasiclanguageskills.One
reallyeffectivemethodwaswhenthemusictherapistwouldimproviseasongtofittheemotion
ofthegroup.Itwasshownthatthismethodreallyhelpedtheinteractionbetweenparentand
child.Theparentwerealsotoldtosmile,laughandengagewiththechildonnonverballevelas
wellasparticipatinginsocialmotorskills.Theparentswerealsogivenstrategiestoincrease
positivereinforcementandpraiseathome.
Attheendofthestudythedatashowedtherewasandecreaseinbehavioralproblems,
communicationproblems,andplayskills.Forexamplebeforethe10weeksobserversratedthe
disabledchildrensocialinteractionata2.38rating.AftertheSing&Growprogramobservers
notedthatthechildrensocialinteractionraisedtoa3.58.Thisdatagoestoshowthatmusic
therapyincreasesthesocialandcommunicationskills.Parentswerepleasedwiththeprogram
and98.0%ofthemwouldrecommendSing&Growtootherstrugglingparents.Thedatashows
thatmusictherapycanbenefitchildren'scommunicationsskillsevenwithinashortperiodof
time.

MUSICTHERAPY

Itisimportantthatchildrenwithmentaldisordersorsevereautismareactivelytaking
partincommunitymusictherapyprogramsbecausethisissaidtobethebasisoflanguage
development(Holk2004)Turntakinginmusictherapyhasbecomepopularwhendealingwith
achildwhosuffersfromcommunicationissues.Itismorelikelyformoreeyecontacttooccur
whenturntakingoccursinasession.Itengagesthechildtohaveabetterconnectionwiththe
therapist,andtheparentiftheyarepresentinthesession.Sincechildrenaregivenmoretimeto
think,whichhasbeensaidtobenefitchildrenwhodonthavenormallanguagedevelopmental
skills.
MusicTherapyhasbeenshowntohelpchildrensufferingwithattachmentissues
especiallywhenthechildfacesthisissuewithaparent.Researchhasshownthatifmusic
therapyisgiventochildrenages03theyaremorelikelytoshowanincreaseinsecure
attachments.Inthesesituationstherapistswillofteninvolvetheparent,thuscreatingastronger
bondforthefuture.Musictherapyitislookedatasabondingexperiencethatcanhelpchildren
learnnewwaystoformrelationshipsandnewpatternsofinteraction.(VarvaraPasiali2014)
MusicTherapisthavealsobeenknownforstimulatingtherelationshipbetweenthe
patientandthefamily.Inmusictherapysessionstherapistcanhelpafamilydealingwith
attachmentissuesbyusingthepsychodynamicapproach.Thisapproachofmusictherapy
consistsofimprovisedsingingandspeaking.
Recentlytherehasbeenanincreaseinmusictherapythatisfocusedonattachment
(VarvaraPasiali2014)AccordingtoPasialiMusicbasedexperiencesseemtoelicitemotions,
triggermemories,andallowindividualstoaddresspersonalandinterpersonalstressesthatmay

MUSICTHERAPY

negativelyaffecttheircapacitytoconnectwithotherWiththisinmindmusicaltherapyproves
tobeapositiveimpactthatcanhelppeoplebringoutissuestheymaybefacinginahealthy
manner,whichwillonlybenefitrelationshipsinthefuture.
Thebondbetweenprematureinfantsandtheirparentsareoftenalargeobstaclefacedin
today'ssociety.Oneexamplethatshowsthisisamotherengageswithbothchildandtherapist.
WhenthemotherofayoungprematurebabynamedEmiliastartssingingalongandengagingin
movementwithherchild.Emiliaandhermotheroptedformusictherapy,becauseEmiliawas
havingtroubleduringfeedingtimes.(Haslbeck2012)
Emiliasbreathingandswallowingwerenotonarhythmicpattern,thereforecreating
stressforbothmotheranddaughter.AfterafewsessionsEmiliasmotherstartedtobecome
moreawareofherchildonanemotionallevel,andevenstartedsingingtoherduringherfeeding
times.AsaresultEmilia'sbreathingandswallowingpatternimproved.Onecanseethatmusic
therapy,andthepowerofmusichelpedstrengthenedthebondbetweenmotherandchild.
Emilia'smotheralsohasfoundawaytomakefeedingtimeslessstressful,andmore
accommodatingforherdaughter.Withoutthehelpofmusictherapythismighthavenever
happened.
Regularparticipationinmusictherapyhasalsobeenshowntoincreasepersonal
interactionsthroughoutapatient'slifeevenwhentheyarefacedwithdevelopmentalissues.
Musictherapyhasbeenshowntohelpparentscreateastrongerbondwiththeirchildren.Ithasa
positiveeffectwhetheritisonashortorlongtermbasis,Furthermoreithasgivenhopetomany
familieswhohaveprematurebabiesorautisticchildren.MusicTherapyhasalsobeengiven

MUSICTHERAPY

creditforbeingagreatbasisforchildrenwithlanguageproblems,whilealsostrengthening
theircommunicationskills.MusicTherapyisanewconceptintoday'ssociety,butresearchhas
shownhowithasbeenpositivelyimpactingtheworld.

Method

Participants
AgroupofparentsfromNewYorkandNewJerseywhohadprematurebabiesranging
fromages6months18months.Allparticipantswerewilling,andweregivenproper
informationregardingmusictherapy.Mostofthemothersfeltthattherewasadisconnectwith
theirchildrenduetothechild'slongstayatthehospital.

Procedure
TheyallmetataprivatepracticeinNewYorkCity,andweregivenprivatemusictherapy
sessionsweeklythroughoutthecourseofamonth.Bothmotherandchildtookpartinthe
sessions.Themothersweretoldtoevaluatetheirrelationshipwiththeirchildbeforereceiving
musictherapy.TheywereaskedquestionssuchasDoyoufeelthatyouareabletoconnect
withyourchildonadailybasis?,Doyousingtoyourchild?etc.Throughoutthesessions

MUSICTHERAPY

parentswereencouragedtosing,playandreacttotheirchildren.MusicTherapistswerealso
abletogivemothersnewwaystobondwiththeirchildusingthesongsfromtheirsessions.

Discussion

ThisstudygoestoshowthattheuseofMusicTherapycanhelpthebondingbetweena
prematurechildandmother.Themothersexpressedhowasthemusictherapysessionswenton
theysawthemselvesinteractingmorewiththeirchild,suchassingingsongsto.Theparents
startedusingsongstohelpputasmileontheirchildface.Theyalsostartedusingthesingand
playmethodssuggestedbythetherapiststohelptheirchildrengaingrossmotorskillsandeven
sensormotorskills.Parentsnoticedachangedimmediately,98%oftheparticipantscontinuedto
attendmusictherapysessionsasawayengageinhealthyrelationshipswiththeirchild.
Limitations
Therewereonly10participantsinthisstudywhichisalittlelow,alsothechildrens
agewerevariedwhichcouldofhadanimpactontheresults.Researchersdidnothaveafamily
backgroundtoseehowtheparticipantslivesareathome.
FutureDirection
Thisstudywasdirectedtoseehowmusictherapycanhaveapositiveeffecton
prematurebabiesandtherelationshipwiththeircaregivers.Inthefuturewehopetoencourage
musictherapyonfamiliesdealingwiththeseissues.

MUSICTHERAPY

References
Haslbeck,F.(2012).Theinteractivepotentialofcreativemusictherapywithpremature
infantsandtheirparents:Aqualitativeanalysis.NordicJournalofMusicTherapy,23(1),3670.
RetrievedMarch26,2015.]
Holk,U.(2004).Turntakinginmusictherapywithchildrenwithcommunication
disorders.BritishJournalofMusicTherapy,18(2),4554.

MedicinesforTreatingAutism'sCoreSymptoms.(n.d.).RetrievedMarch26,2015,
fromhttps://www.autismspeaks.org/whatautism/treatment/medicinestreatingcoresymptoms
Nicholson,J.,Berthelsen,D.,Abad,V.,Williams,K.,&Bradley,J.(2013).ImpactOf
MusicTherapyToPromotePositiveParentingAndChildDevelopment.JournalofHealth
Psychology,23(3),226238.
Pasiali,V.(2013).Musictherapyandattachmentrelationshipsacrossthelifespan.
NordicJournalofMusicTherapy,23(3),202223.
Thompson,G.(n.d.).FamilyCenteredMusicTherapyintheHomeEnvironment:
PromotingInterpersonalEngagementbetweenChildrenwithAutismSpectrumDisorderand
TheirParents.MusicTherapyPerspectives,109116