Incorporating Music Therapy Techniques to Help Special Needs Students in Music Classes
Introduction
An appropriate education is one of the six legal concepts in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This specific concept states that education must be designed to benefit all students, including those with disabilities and exceptional needs (United States Congress, 1975). Music educators must adhere to this Act, not only for legal purposes, but more importantly for the education and experience of the students. In order for music educators to adapt their teaching styles to meet the needs of students with disabilities, the incorporation of techniques from other related fields may be required.
Music therapy techniques may be the answer to effectively aid students with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. It is crucial that I am aware of all effective techniques and methods to be able to develop into the most effective music educator that I can become. My personal interest in special education is a motivation to enhance my awareness of techniques that can be used to provide the most beneficial music education to students with disabilities. My parents and my grandmother were special education teachers, and they have given me a love and appreciation for the field. It has always been my belief through experience that music can aid special education students throughout the learning process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate music therapy techniques that can be used to help special needs students in school music classes.
Blunt, 2003
Leslie Blunt wrote an article in which she discussed music therapy as a corresponding technique within music education. In the first section she defined music therapy and provided an example of a therapy session with a special needs child. Blunt stated that “a period of music therapy provides opportunities for detailed and ongoing observations, assessment and gradual understanding of an individual’s unique patterns of communication” (p. 179). An example therapy session with Jane, an eight-year-old, was then provided. In the session, Jane visited a music therapist based on a recommendation for Jane’s curriculum in music education. Jane held the belief that everyone in the building, including the therapist, hated her. After using rocking chordal patterns on the piano, small shaking instruments, and long and deep breaths while singing, Jane relaxed physically and emotionally. She used many instruments by herself and explored many different scenarios with the therapist.
Upon returning to class, Jane expressed feeling much calmer and more confident. Blunt concluded that the “musical interaction provides an ideal setting for the holding of quite complex and at times even contradictory feelings” (p. 181). Through musical interaction, the therapist was able to acknowledge Jane’s various thoughts and feelings while showing that she was valued and not disliked. This tended to boost Jane’s self-esteem and her own freedom of choice. She was encouraged to be in control of the dynamics and pitch of her music which corresponded with her physiological reactions. Blunt noted the, “cross modal connections between her breathing and hand movements and the therapist’s piano playing.” After three years of therapy, the insights gathered by the therapist were able to aid in the creation of her educational planning throughout high school. “Individually tailored music-making” (p. 182) was a great service to her music education as well as her general learning.
In the second section, Blunt discussed music therapy within the United Kingdom and the students that are serviced. In many United Kingdom schools music therapists “work together with the school staff and the wider multidisciplinary team in assessing a pupil’s circumstances and provide appropriate therapeutic intervention” (p. 185). The therapists worked with a wide range of students providing services for students with severe learning difficulties, emotional and behavioral problems, physical and sensory disabilities, and autism and mental health problems. After working with a music therapist, the majority of the students were able to achieve goals listed on their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). The students displayed increased range and appropriate use of vocal sounds, increased amount of looking to the adult, reduced the amount of non-attentive behavior, and many also developed imitative skills and the ability to initiate an activity.
Blunt considered the overlaps between music therapy and music education in the third section of the article. “Making music itself is a multidimensional activity with the unique involvement of the whole child – physically, socially, intellectually, and emotionally. Such rich and complex interactions and relationship create a grey area between what can be defined as solely the domain of therapy and that of education” (p. 191). Within music education, the music therapists play the role of listening to the child and building a therapeutic relationship with the child. While doing so, the therapists were able to continually expose the student to many types of musical activity which, in turn, helped the child to practice and gain strength in many musical skills. A scenario was described where a music teacher was collaborating together with a music therapist to work with ten special needs twelve-year-olds. The music teacher decided to work on keyboard improvisation with the group of students. The teacher noted that each professional discovered that the activity could fall within the emphasis of listening, composing, and performing of the National Curriculum. The activity could also be included in the personal and social education areas of the curriculum. “Musical participation can help develop an individual’s sense of ability in music, and feelings of ownership of a creative product, and this highlights some of the parallels that can exist between therapeutic and educational music interventions” (p. 192). Both therapeutic and educational objectives are met. Blunt concluded the article with a final highlight of the overlap between music education and music therapy. “Both music therapists and music educators would be working towards a common goal, namely the use of the powerful art of music to facilitate not only learning but also development of the whole child both within and outside of school” (p. 192).
Patterson, 2003
Allyson
Patterson began her article in the Music Educators Journal by saying that “Music
educators can help their special needs students get appropriate related
services, including music therapy” (p. 35). Patterson made the valid point that
music therapy should be considered a related service. Although currently it may
not be common to find a music therapist in a school district, it should not be
disregarded as an option for the growth of the student. Music therapy, along
with other related services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy,
would help the student make reasonable progress in their educational programs.
As with any other related service, a formal assessment process would be used to
determine whether music therapy is educationally necessary.
The author continued to explain that most music educators feel
unprepared to meet the challenge of having a special needs student in the
regular classroom. The students are often not able to participate in the
classroom activities, and this is where music therapy may be able to aid a
student in music class. Patterson said “as a music educator, I saw that some of
the children could potentially make gains in music and nonmusical areas because
of the motivation and assistance that music provided. A physically disabled
student who had difficulty holding an eating utensil for more than three seconds
at a time was able to grasp a mallet for nearly twice as long in order to pay a
hand drum.” (p. 36) A music therapist for the special needs student will not
replace the music educator, but will only use “strategies that will strengthen a
functional area of an individual’s life through participation in musical
experiences.” Patterson uses the example of a learning disabled student who may
have difficulty accomplishing tasks throughout the day. A music therapist may
add a melody to a specific sequence for an activity. The student will learn and
sing the song in order to know what to do next, and this would also give the
student a sense of regularity if it is a daily task.
In the final section of the article, Patterson discusses the
beneficiaries of music therapy services. “The therapist can introduce techniques
and strategies for classroom teachers, music educators, and classroom aids to
use with their most challenging students” (p. 38). She also mentions that music
therapy may also help the overall attitude in the classroom and prevent
‘burnout,’ especially with special education teachers. Music therapy is very
versatile as the techniques can be adapted to use within a group setting with
many different levels of students. Another positive aspect of music therapy is
that the techniques used in the classroom could also be used at home by the
parents.
Ropp, 2006
In Cindy Ropp’s article she not only discusses the facts and
benefits from music therapy in special education, but she also addresses the
special education administrator’s perception of music therapy in special needs
programs. Both special educators and music educators seem to have a positive
response to the impact of music therapy upon their students. Ropp reports that
in 2004 almost 5.75 million student of the public school population received
special education during the 2003-2004 school year (p. 87). With such a large
number of special needs students, many different techniques, such as music
therapy, will be needed to aid each student individually. “Music therapy has
been shown to be beneficial in treating and remediating learning deficits in
students with various disabilities current served through special education
services. Specific music therapy interventions promote wellness, stress
management, reduction and alleviation of pain, expression of feelings, memory
enhancement, improved communication, and physical rehabilitation.” (p. 87) Ropp
also discusses that although special needs children are often treated in
hospitals, treatment centers, and private schools the focus of many current
studies is specifically on music therapy services provided in special education.
To satisfy the needs of the millions of special education students,
music therapy services are performed in a variety of formats. Improvisation,
singing, music listening, instrument playing, movement to music, songwriting,
and composition are all examples of music therapy techniques for the exceptional
learner. Each technique is a factor in the improvement of social skills,
providing enjoyment, and developing self-expression. Skill development,
socialization goals, overall improved cognition, and also enhanced interaction
between the children and their families were also improved factors for many
learners.
In order for a special education program to obtain a music therapist
for the best interest of the student, administrators must be aware of the
efficacy and benefits of music therapy. Ropp addresses the awareness of
administrators’ perceptions of music therapy in this section of the article.
“How music therapy is perceived by others can play a significant role in shaping
decisions regarding therapeutic intervention,” Ropp reports (p. 90). When
administrators are aware of the positive effects of music therapy, they will be
more likely to consent to funding for therapists. Ropp also notes that “personal
experience was a significant predictor of positive attitudes toward music
therapy.” (p. 91) Only 36.4% of administrators had personal experience with
music therapy in one of Ropp’s studies (p. 92). In order for administrators,
parents, music educators, and special educators to become aware of the effects
of music therapy techniques, Ropp suggested that facilitated observations,
on-site visits, and workshops would be the most influential tactics to gain
interest in music therapy. “Awareness of administrator’s perceptions of the
efficacy and benefits of music therapy is critical for music therapists seeking
employment in special education settings.” (p. 93) As the awareness of music
therapy increases, the use of such treatment for special education students
could increase. The students will then be given a better opportunity to achieve
their greatest potential.
Summary
Blunt, Patterson, and Ropp agree about many aspects of music
therapy in music education. Each article contains a positive review of music
therapy and the techniques used throughout the classroom. Blunt focused on the
therapy session with Jane and concluded that she was able to emotionally express
herself and her frustrations because of the music intervention. Ropp completely
agrees that music therapy allows for growth in self-expression (Blunt, 2003;
Ropp, 2006).
I found that the techniques explored within each article were
similar, and some strategies were new to me. Improvisation on the keyboard or
hand drum seems to be a large part of music therapy (Blunt, 2003). I never would
have considered holding a mallet as a parallel to holding a utensil for a
student with such difficulties (Patterson, 2003). Composition and the use of
instruments also seem to be key in the effectiveness of music therapy (Blunt,
2003; Patterson 2003; Ropp, 2006).
Allyson Patterson seemed to focus at least half of her writing on
music therapy awareness. She conveyed many similar concepts of music therapy as
Blunt and Ropp, but she was the only one that focused on awareness. As a music
major, I am aware of the field, but many educators are not (Patterson, 2003). In
order for the field of music therapy to grow and aid special education students,
the concepts and techniques of music therapy need to be publicized in order for
the general public to gain knowledge about the subject.
Conclusions
It
is a common misconception that music education and music therapy are one in the
same. I was under the impression that the two fields are very similar. While
they do share a few similarities, music therapy seems to be more of a compliment
to education rather than acting as a field of comparison. The techniques and
strategies used within music therapy support the learning skills needed for
music education. The incorporation of a simple melody or song for a child to
remember a daily process will aid the child in his or her education (Patterson,
2003). The student will be able to accomplish more in a days time knowing the
process because of the use of a simple therapeutic melody.
I also found it intriguing that music therapy is able to accomplish
not only educational tasks, but also separate tasks as well. I would believe
that a child using a mallet would benefit in a musical fashion also in
expression. Something as simple as holding a mallet is able to aid a student in
every day tasks, such as holding a utensil. The student will be able to possibly
transfer the knowledge and music therapy will have improved upon a physical
skill.
I only hope that I will be able to transfer these strategies and
techniques to my own teaching. Patterson’s article mentioned that most music
educators are not always prepared to work with special needs students. I may be
able to transfer this knowledge and apply the techniques to my own lesson plans.
Music therapy seems to help students overcome physical, emotional, or
psychological issues so that each child will be able to learn in the most
efficient way possible. The knowledge of music therapy techniques will hopefully
aid in my teaching strategies and allow my students to become successful
throughout their educational career.
References
Bunt, L. (2003). Music therapy with children: A complementary service to music education. British Journal of Music Education, 20(2), 179-195.
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