Prepared by,

Roger Toh Chu Lin

Saw Hua Jin
Tan Chee Hwa
Tan Shing Chian

Music therapy is the skillful use of

music and musical elements by an
accredited music therapist to
promote, maintain, and restore mental,
physical, emotional, and spiritual
health.
(Canadian Association for Music Therapy, 1994)

 Clinical and evidence-based use of

music interventions to accomplish
individualized goals within a
therapeutic relationship by a
credentialed professional.
Music therapist provides the indicated
treatment including creating, singing,
moving to, and/or listening to music
after assessing needs of client

History of music therapy

The earliest known reference to
music therapy appeared in 1789 in an
unsigned article inColumbian
Magazinetitled "Music Physically
Considered."
The first recorded music
therapyintervention and the first
recorded experiment in music
therapy occurred during the 1800s.

History of music therapy

In the US, the profession of music
therapy began to develop during
W.W.I and W.W. II,when music was
used in hospitals as an intervention
to address traumatic war injuries.
Music have positive effect on
patients psychological and emotional
stage.

Objectives
of using music therapy
Calm mind and body due to its soothing
power.
Enable oneself to understand and
recognise their hidden feelings.
Speed up the change of negative
behaviour to a positive one.
Provide an alternate way for one to
express themselves
Improve social skills
Improve memory performance

Basic Concept
of

Music Therapy

 A form of healing that uses music to

provide care to clients.
Uses music in a therapeutic environment
to treat individuals suffering from physical
ailments, cognitive disabilities, emotional
disorders and social issues.
Uses music as a tool to develop potentials
and restore functions of the
individual to help him to
lead a better life.

Subject of therapy
Treatment

Typically
developing
children

Autistic
children

Improving
fine and fine
motor skills

Promoting
socialemotional
development

How does
music
therapy help
children in
general?

Promoting
social skill
development

Improving
academic
performance

Improving fine and gross motor skills

Traditional and adaptive percussive
instruments like maracas can be used
during music therapy session to enhance
specific fine and gross motor skills.
For example, playing guitar can help a
child to improve his or her fine motor
skills.

Improving academic performance

Putting academic information into a
song format can help to improve
childrens recall of information better.
Music helps to establish a relaxing
learning environment for children.

Promoting social skill development

Music therapy provides children

opportunities to practice greetings,
turn taking, eye contact, requesting
and so on through musical activities.

Promoting social-emotional
development
Music therapy provides children an
outlet for expression of emotions.
Singing songs that teach a child how
to identify feelings and how to cope
with big emotions during music
therapy session can help children to
deal with their emotional problem
more readily.

Characteristic of Autistic Children

Obsessions with
objects

Fascination with
rotation

Frustrated in
unusual way

Inability to
perceive
dangerous
possibility

Cause injury to
self

Difficulty with
loud or sudden
sound

Difficulty
understanding
group interaction

Prefers to be
alone

Very little eye

contact

Encourage
social
interactions

How does
music
therapy
help
autistic
children?
Reduce
anxiety

Improve
behaviour

Encourage social interactions

Music therapy encourages autistic
children to show emotional
expression and social engagement
more readily.
Music can also be used to help the
children to increase their social
interaction and improve their social
skills.

Improve behaviour
Music therapy helps to improve
childrens overall behaviours, with the
most improvement seen in inattentive
behaviours.
Music helps to deal with childrens
restlessness, aggression and
noisiness effectively.

Reduce anxiety
Rhythmic music helps to decrease
anxiety-related behaviours among
children.
Anxiety in children can be effectively
alleviated due to the predictability of
the beat in the music.

 What is a typical music therapy

session like?
What are the steps or
stages involved?

A music therapy session will look vastly

different depending on who we
work with and where we work
with them.

Interests

Experiences

Care plans

Therapeutic Process
Opening

Closure

Session

ReAssessment

1.0 Opening
Help creating music therapy ambience
Hello Song

Answering question
about how they are
doing / check-in

A review of
previous session

Set direction for music therapy programme

Goals and
objectives

Individual or group

7 skill areas

Assessment and Evaluation

Setting goals
Based on specific needs and
interests
To assist the child in selfexpression and developments
To reduce the pain they are feeling
Examples
Specific physical milestones through playing of
instruments
Developmental and cognitive objectives through
listening and singing

Emotional
support

Developmental
support

Family support

Fine and gross

motor
development

Pain/ anxiety
management

Normalisation
of environment

Socialisation

Memory
building

Sensory
stimulation

Coping

Selfexpression
and awareness

2.0 Session
Incorporate interventions/
techniques
One in-depth
Multiple

Designed to target a specific

therapeutic goal and objective
Non-musical
Clients = active and central participants

Interventions
Singing
Instrument playing

Music assisted
relaxation
Moving to music

Songwriting process
(simple and complete)

Performing/
Playing

Composing

Receiving/
Listening

Improvising
Creating music on the
spot

Musical Instruments

Coordinate programming with other

professionals :
intervention specialists, medical personnel,
child life specialists, psychologists,
occupational and physical therapists, speech or
language pathologists, adapted physical
education specialists, and
art and dance or movement therapists.

( Peterson Family Foundation, 2016)

3.0 Re-Assessment
First goal has been met
Other more important
needs arise
Respond positively and have on-going
needs
Does no reach objective
(terminate and refer)

4.0 Closure
A major transition point
Get client ready to leave the music therapy
space and re-join the outside world
Examples
Good-bye song
Closing check-in
Session summary
By the end of this session, client
should be able to
express emotional connection to the therapy
reflect on all the achieved progress

Lighting

Outside
sounds

Visual
distraction

Environment
Set-up of
chairs
and
tables

Smells

Instrument
storage

Bedside

Studio

How the
various types
of Music
Therapy
Work?

Home

Outpatient

Effectiveness of Music Therapy

Music offers a means of expressing
and exploring emotion; it promotes
social interaction and collaboration
through joining in songs, dance and
band sessions; and, since it has
such a high motivational power, it
promotes concentration,
confidence and the development of
control.
(Pound & Harrison, 2003)

Strengths of Music Therapy

Provide an Uplifting and Enjoyable

Feeling
improve motivation and increase self esteem
Provide Calmness
reduce nausea, anxiety, pain and heart rate
Promote Appropriate Behavior
reduce restlessness and wandering
Enhance Intrapersonal and
Interpersonal Skills
improve communication and self expression

Effects of Music Therapy on

Pupils with Mental Retardation Problems
Enhance
communication
skills

Encourage
independence

Strengths
Enhance
emotional
and social
skills

Improve
academic
performance

Enhance
psychomotor
skills

Effects of Music Therapy on

Pupils with Physical Health Problems
Reduce
pain and
facilitate
movement

Increase
self-worth

Strengths

Gain better
control over
physical
movements

Strengthen
body
muscles

Effects of Music Therapy on

Pupils with Communication Problems

Boost self
confidence

Enhance
receptive
and
expressive
skills

Improve
verbal
articulation

Strengths

Increase
fluency in
speaking

Gain better
control over
volume of
voice

Limitations of Music Therapy

Limitations of Music Therapy

Multimedia Presentation
Hope for Autism through
Music Therapy

References
Alex. (2013). Music therapy for children. Retrieved January
11, 2017, from RocketSwag.com: http://www.family-friendlyfun.com/family-health/therapy/music.htm
Campbell, P.S. (1998). Songs in Their Heads. New York:
Oxford University Press
Heart,B. (n.d). Music Therapy Treatment Process. Retrieved
January 11, 2017, from Heart Beats Music Therapy:
http://www.heartbeatsmusictherapy.com/Planning_Treament.h
tm
Jolene. (2013). Music Therapy: 6 Benefits for Kids with
Special Needs. Retrieved January 11, 2017, from
RocketSwag.com: http://differentdream.com/2013/07/musictherapy-6-benefits-for-kids-with-special-needs/

References
Moore, K.S. (2011, February 9). What is a typical music
therapy session like? Retrieved January 11, 2017 from Music
Therapy Mav:
http://www.heartbeatsmusictherapy.com/Planning_Treament.h
tm
Peterson Family Foundation. (2016). Understanding the
Process of Music Therapy. Retrieved January 11, 2017 from
Peterson family foundation :
https://petersonfamilyfoundation.org/musictherapy/understanding-process-music-therapy/
Pound, L., & Harrison, C. (2003). Supporting Musical
Development in the Early Years. Buckingham: Open
University Press.

References
Rocketswag. (2013). Strengths And Limitations Of Music
Therapy. Retrieved January 11, 2017, from RocketSwag.com:
http://www.rocketswag.com/medicine/alternativemedicine/music-therapy/Strengths-And-Limitations-Of-MusicTherapy.html