Thompson, G. A., & McFerran, K. S. (2015). Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and developmental disability: Four case studies exploring communication and engagement within musical interactions. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability , 40 (1), 1-11.
The study involved an analysis of the effects of the incorporation of music therapy among individuals that had profound development and intellectual disability. Twelve adult patients were used for the study that had a mean age of 21.6 years. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups where they listened to the Mozart K448 once after 6 months. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference which was observed in the listening and control periods. Patients that had seizures experienced a 50% reduction in their seizures during the listening period. The results of the study showed how music could be applied as an add-on therapy among patients that had significant intellectual disabilities. Music therapy presented itself as a new option that clinicians should consider when treating patients.
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Mendelson, J., White, Y., Hans, L., Adebari, R., Schmid, L., Riggsbee, J., ... & Shapleton, J. (2016). A preliminary investigation of a specialized music therapy model for children with disabilities delivered in a classroom setting. Autism research and treatment , 2016.
The study investigated the effectiveness of a specialized music therapy model that was applied for children with disabilities in a classroom setting. The participants of the study were in 4 local public elementary school where 32 children had intellectual disability with no autism. The number of participants selected were 17 that received music therapy 14 did not receive any therapy sessions. Different songs were used during the therapy sessions and the verbal responsiveness of the participants was later investigated. The study showed that the use of music among the participants led to an improvement in verbal responses over time over both groups. However, participants that engaged in music had a significant improvement in their verbal responsiveness over the long-term. The study confirmed the positive effects of music therapy when applied to children with disabilities. The study proposed the use of 45-minute weekly sessions to be undertaken for 15 weeks to improve verbal responsiveness.
Hoyle, J. N., & McKinney, C. H. (2015). Music therapy in the bereavement of adults with intellectual disabilities: A clinical report. Music Therapy Perspectives , 33 (1), 39-44.
The study investigated whether music therapy can be used to address the bereavement among adults that had been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. A nine-week group music therapy program was incorporated to the study. The themes selected in the study involved a how to deal with feelings when one of their loved one dies. After the incorporation of the music therapy sessions, the results of the study showed that participants that stuck to the music therapy for a long time experienced significant improvement through a decrease in negative behaviors. However, two participants did not show a reduction in their negative behaviors. The conclusion from the study showed that music therapy bereavement protocol was applicable in addressing some of the issues related to adults with intellectual disability. The study added to the existing knowledge regarding the effect of music therapy on individuals with disabilities. Music therapy enabled the individuals to get hold and cope with negative emotions.
Preis, J., Amon, R., Silbert Robinette, D., & Rozegar, A. (2016). Does music matter? The effects of background music on verbal expression and engagement in children with autism spectrum disorders. Music Therapy Perspectives , 34 (1), 106-115.
The study involved an exploration of whether music matters in therapy and some of the effects of background music on engagement and verbal expression of children that had autism spectrum disorders. The study also sought to analyze whether the type of music can be used to realize positive results. The results of the study showed that background music did not have a spontaneous effect on the engagement and verbal expression of 5 participants in the study that had autism. Additionally, the study incorporated different types of music such as children’s songs, reggae, and classical music. The study showed that the different types of music applied did not have any significant differences. The findings of the study showed that a specific type of music did not have any significant positive effects or differences on individuals with disabilities. However, the study supports the hypothesis that music can be used to change the structure of the brain and its connectivity among individuals with autism.
LaGasse, A. B. (2014). Effects of a music therapy group intervention on enhancing social skills in children with autism. Journal of music therapy , 51 (3), 250-275.
The study investigated the effects of music in enhancing the social skills of children that have been diagnosed with autism. The specific factors that were investigated were the joint attention, eye gaze, and communication among the children. 17 participants were chosen for the study and were between the age of 6 and 9. The participants were assigned to the music therapy group (MTG) and the social skills group (SSG). The changes in their social behavior were evaluated through the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) before and after the incorporation of the therapy sessions. The results from the study showed that there were improvements among the children that had gone through the music therapy sessions. While the individuals that had gone through SSG group experienced social improvement, it was not as significant as that in the MTG group. The results from the study added to the research regarding the significance of using music therapy to improve social behavior compared to other methods.
Yang, Y. H. (2016). Parents and young children with disabilities: The effects of a home-based music therapy program on parent-child interactions. Journal of music therapy , 53 (1), 27-54.
The study involved an examination of the parent-child relationship through a six-week home based music therapy program. The effects of the music therapy program were examined to determine how music affects the growth and development of the child as well as the parent-child relationship. There were 26 parent-child dyads that participated in the study where the participating dyads had a child that had disabilities or development delays. There were also 40-minute music therapy sessions that were carried out for 6 weeks. The results of the study showed that parent-child synchrony improved significantly after the intervention. Positive physical and verbal responses were observed to have improved on the child. The findings of the study showed that there were positive effects of music therapy on children with disabilities. The conclusion showed that there should be a huge support for home-based music therapy programs as they can help in facilitating a better parent-child relationship and interaction.
