Recent Research: Recommendations and Reactions

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

It is a really great day for me when I open my mailbox and find the latest music therapy journals. It gets even better when there is an article that I find to be useful, informative and practical. So you can imagine how happy this self-proclaimed nerd was to find several great articles in the recent copy of Music Therapy Perspectives.
Here’s one that connect directly to our work with young children.

Family Connections through Music

Thompson, G. (2012). Family-centered music therapy in the home environment: Promoting interpersonal engagement between children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents. Music Therapy Perspectives, 30(2), 109-116.

ABSTRACT
Family-centered practice is a widespread approach guiding how early intervention services support families with children with special needs such as autism spectrum disorder. An important feature of this support is its provision in natural settings such as the home environment. Ultimately, family-centered practitioners endeavor to embed therapeutic approaches into the child’s daily routines so that they can be facilitated in part by the family. This approach is particularly useful with young children with autism spectrum disorder as a way of promoting interpersonal engagement and therefore the development of early social and communication skills. A model for applying family-centered practice to music therapy methods is discussed through reflections on practice and case examples.

This practice article comes from Grace Thompson, an Australian music therapist. I was fortunate to preview the article almost a year ago when I got the opportunity to spend a week presenting along with Dr. Katrina McFerran of the University of Melbourne. Katrina was the advisor for the dissertation that was the foundation of this article.
There are significant cultural differences between Australia and the United States which is curious since we both grew from the same exodus from the United Kingdom. A focus on wellness and health is supported within the culture and through government efforts (there is a Secretary of Wellness in the central government!). So it is not surprising that Australian early intervention and special education has a family focus as opposed to a more clinical focus. The article outlines research and practice backing for this family-centered approach and suggests a series of components for the music therapist.
The components of the framework are:
(a) Family centered practice
(b) Attune to the child’s mood and behavior/following the child’s lead
(c) Enticing the child with motivating activities
(d) Music therapist presents with positive affect, acceptance and affection
(e) The music therapist presents as play partner
(f) Keep the child’s anxiety low. Assess the need for structure, choice or control.
(g) Matching the child’s abilities
(h) Understanding social communication development theories
(i) Child initiates engagement
(j) Adult responds, attunes and extends
(k) Child shows recognition of adult’s response
The components are considered circular rather than linear.

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