What was your most valuable takeaway from this weeks’ content?

[Meredith Pizzi]

Please reflect on your takeaway from this week’s material.

[Jessica Bogacik]

Other than the general information about early childhood development (which is very valuable), I believe that my most valuable takeaway from the content is information about when red flags might be present in a child’s development, and how to assure parents that what they are experiencing is typical. I have never been a parent myself, but I am sure that it is easy to become very anxious about your child’s development when there is so much information available to us on the internet and in the media. Having a music therapist or other professional to reassure (in a non-judgemental and kind way) the parents or to guide them towards seeking assistance if there might be a slight delay, would be invaluable to those parents. I hope to be that person for parents when I am working with young children and their families.

[Amanda Goff]

What I took away from the content this week was the importance of review!!! I enjoyed the reading on early childhood development and it was nice to refresh my mind with this information and to focus on the physical development, but also a child’s emotional development at specific stages of life.

[Melissa Hentges]

I agree that the red flags were particularly valuable to learn about. I cannot imagine, since I don’t have children of my own, how anxious parents could become if they feel their child is not developing appropriately. I think it would be helpful to have a professional that knows and cares for their child communicate that the child is going through normal stages or on the flip-side to confirm concerns that the parent might have so that the child may begin receiving any appropriate services as early as possible.

I also found the idea of recognizing the different stages of understanding that children go through particularly helpful. For instance, the example of the maraca stuck out to me (calling an orange maraca “blue” is better than calling it a “truck”). I often have students that misidentify colors or shapes and it is good to keep in mind that while they might not have correctly identified a color, they are in the right category and that is an important developmental skill.

[Lauren Servos]

This week was a great review of early childhood development! I appreciated the comments about how to discuss certain developmental stages with parents. I love that music therapy groups give us the opportunity to support the entire family unit!

[Kathy Odenkirk]

Although I have worked in early childhood for quite a few years it has been awhile since my practice included 0 – 2 year olds. It was good to review the developmental stages as well as any potential red flags for all ages.

[Mikhala Majeau]

The most valuable takeaway for me from this weeks’ content was the “red flags” of development. The way that the information is presented about the red flags, such as it would be a POSSIBLE red flag for a child if he or she didn’t have a one to two word phrase by twenty four months. I think keeping in mind that children develop differently, but also being aware of when a child should have achieved certain milestones is extremely important for an early childhood professional. Being able to reassure a parent that a certain behavior, such as an aversion to change could be developmentally appropriate is very helpful. It is also imperative that as a professional, I can alert parents to a possible red flag for their child.

[Michelle Nettle]

The most valuable takeaway I got from this week’s content was that we as music therapists have a unique opportunity to be an early childhood “expert” that parents can go to and “trust” as they are experiencing parenthood and trying to understand healthy and normal development of their children. I have not been a parent, but I HAVE been working with children and families as an in-home music therapist for children with special needs for over 12 years, and have often been an important resource and “ear” for parents to share their concerns and struggles regarding their children with special needs.

Just as I have become a trusted “special needs” expert in my music therapy practice , it excites me to know that in learning about the “typical” development of children ages 0-5 and how best to support this development through music therapy, “in-time” will lead me to be a trusted and educated “expert” in the field of “typical” early childhood development. I have ALWAYS cherished the opportunity to guide and comfort parents who have “special needs” children by providing them the support they need in their child’s healthy development, but taking this course will now allow me to help a WHOLE other set of parents who are seeking healthy development of their “typical” children.

[Anonymous]

I’m glad to see you all found the “red flags” helpful. I also like that so many of you see how much we have to offer to parents regarding development. Jessica shares a helpful point that there is so much information available that can be confusing and scary for parents, and as Michelle stated, we can be the “experts” that help parents along the way.

[Jamie Sacca]

I absolutely agree with the above points regarding red flags in development. Working with children with developmental disabilities in this age range, what I found both great to review and almost “reassuring” in a way, is that we as MT’s have the ability and training to discuss development and can assess and work on goals in all these areas. I think it is not only helpful when speaking with parents, but with other service providers. We can “use the professional lingo” as it were to discuss development within the context of music therapy sessions, whether our clients are typically developing or have delays. I am finding this review of development is helping me tweak my assessment and evaluation process as well.

[Steven Clarke]

I definitely agree that being able to recognize possible “red flags” within the normal stages of development is a very important skill to have as a music therapist working in early childhood with children and their families. Although I do not yet have children myself, and I also have limited experience working within this setting as a new professional, I hope to be able to provide knowledge and support to parents in my future work in early childhood music therapy. I also hope to draw on the knowledge when beginning my own family. The stages of development were good to review, and it was also useful to see how they apply to the music therapy setting.

For me the most valuable takeaway from this weeks’ content was the analogy of the many paths that a child can take during the course of their development. The role that genetics, family/environment and social settings play in their development is important. Thinking of disability or special needs as a path, and how we as music therapists can best use music to guide the journey along the path was very intriguing. When we understand a disability better, we can begin to provide opportunities for the child/family to cope with and overcome it’s symptoms to continue on as healthy a path as they are able.

[Leigh Ann Walberg]

My most valuable takeaway this week, was just having the specific ages and what is expected at each age. Though I raised a daughter and probably learned this in college 20 years ago, I was ready for a refresher. I especially appreciated the red flag comments, to have a better idea when there may be a concern. I also had never thought through the point that at 36-48 months they do not understand moral concepts and “sorry” is not understood yet, I found that interesting.

[Natalie Condon]

In my personal and professional life I have had little experience in early childhood. Because of this, I found ALL the information very valuable, specifically the red flags. Reviewing and absorbing this information is important to me as I would like to properly aid parents that are feeling unsure about their child’s development. Searching online can often be an overload and there is usually conflicting information. Using the information from this week I feel as though I can supply at least a basis for parents in search of knowing specific milestones or developmental stages.

I also valued learning more about how infants and children test objects with their mouths. I can see how they may be using it to test and explore their environment at a fundamental level, using just the most primal and instinctive methods. I’ve often seen biting in our culture as a behavior that gives parents a lot of concern so it was encouraging to hear its reasoning and how much of a natural behavior it is. It’s information I feel I can pass on to parents who appear to be overly concerned with the behavior.

[Robyn Rutland-Coleman]

Not to sound like a broken record, but I, too appreciated the information on red flags of development. It was also helpful to be reminded that there is a range of time during which certain developmental milestones can be considered typical. I remember reading month-by-month baby books when I was a new mom and worrying that my baby wasn’t exactly in line with those very specific guidelines, so viewing it through a somewhat broader lens makes much more sense to me.

Some other things that stood out to me were the mentions of the use of the word “trading” rather than “sharing” at 12-18 months, and how long it takes for children to be ready to even address and understand sharing at age 4-5. It was interesting to lie down and physically take the perspective of a baby who does not have much control over her environment and what she sees or interacts with. And once the baby can sit up, just how much broader her world becomes. Lastly, I appreciated the reminder of how important it is to child-proof the room where classes are held. Even if there are no exposed outlets and the door is closed, mobile children can still climb or become injured from a fall on a concrete floor without a rug.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

I’m so glad that this week’s content was helpful, and that many of you appreciated the ‘red flags’ that we mentioned. Last fall I had the opportunity to record a podcast for imagine:the early childhood music therapy on-line magazine on when, where, how and why to discuss developmental concerns with parents. You can access the podcast at http://imagine.musictherapy.biz/Imagine/podcasts/Entries/2014/9/15_stopping_the_music__why,_when,_and_how_to_discuss_developmental_concerns_with_families.html. Please let me know if you would like a printed copy. Beth

[Linda Madler]

My apologies for posting late–this has been more hectic than most. I also noted the “red flags” and like Leigh Ann, I found it interesting that children may not know the meaning of “sorry.” Many of the parents (and teachers) of toddlers and preschoolers are quick to have their child(ren) apologize to other members of the group. Usually I sit back and wait for them to complete the interaction without interceding…is there a better way to handle this? I particularly enjoyed hearing about the development of 48-60 mos. Sometimes we as a society are so focused on “academic skills.” I appreciated hearing about the social/emotional development, particularly that children want to please and imitate peers. I have one class in particular where providing opportunities for positive peer interaction might be very useful.

[Kristina Rio]

Linda, that is a great question. I think it is alright to let parents parent in the moment, but to be able to use it as a teachable moment as well. I would mention that it is important to model the behavior of apologizing, but to also stress that the concept of “sorry” is not yet understood at this age so the expectation is not too high.

[Kayla Hamilton]

This week’s context helped me to discern when it is appropriate to bring up certain deficits to parents. I also found the phrasing suggested to be very helpful in discussing the topic. I recently graduated university, so week was helpful in recalling what I learned in my developmental psych class. I also love the way to powerpoint is laid out by age and domain. It is a very helpful resource!

[Amanda Barnett]

I just realized I never got my post to go through on this discussion!!!

I have really appreciated learning the developmental stages that children go through. I have a 1 year old daughter & know I have worried since day 1 how her physical & emotional development were in comparison to the average child of her age. Having this information readily available makes me feel much better knowing I will be able to help parents to understand where their child is in development so they can put their minds at ease or be on the watch out for the “red flags”.
This information has also helped me to understand where some of my lower functioning clients are in their development as they fall in some of the areas listed in this weeks video. These stages are a real eye opener in many different aspects of my life & I am very grateful to now be more educated on what to watch for.

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