Music therapy with the developmentally disabled: Will we continue to be unique? National Association for Music Therapy California Symposium on Clinical Practices (1987, Costa Mesa, California)

Journal/Book: Music Therapy Perspectives. 1989; 6: 23-25.

Abstract: Describes a philosophy derived from experiences in music therapy with developmentally disabled persons. A description of music therapy is presented that includes both objective and subjective client behaviors, rather than focusing on reinforcement of socially acceptable behaviors. ABSTRACT 2: The author describes his clinical experiences with the developmentally disabled. He mentions the often heard comment from other professionals working in this setting that the client behaves differently in non-musical settings. It is the musical setting that gives rise to the actions, adaptive skills, and patterns that are absent from most other clinical settings. The music creates the space which allows the client to respons in an unmodified, unapproximated, or unrequired manner. The author cites the definition of music therapy as the use of music to reinforce socially acceptable behavior as being shortsighted and limiting. Some of this professional myopia is due to the shortcomings of our assessment instruments which stress the near exclusive collection of objective data over subjective information. He opts for a description of music therapy which includes both the objective behaviors of the client and the subjective behaviors. The author comments that the art of therapy is enhanced by the utilization of both objective and subjective data. (Temple University; abstract courtesy of NAMT).

Note: Using Smart Source Parsing issues in music therapy; developmentally disabled clients; conference presentation

Keyword(s): Music therapy; developmental disabilities; professional meetings and symposia

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