[Alyssa Blackburn]

I might have just forgotten, but I do not recall learning Mahler’s developmental stages. Though all the theories have their similarities, that reminded me how understanding development is not limited to some, or all, of these theories. I definitely find myself thinking more in regards to the scales and checklists when identifying whether or not a child is “in line” with typical child development. All this to say, my biggest takeaway is a reminder that development, while often defined by trends, is not so cut-and-dry.

[Alyssa Blackburn]

Hello! My name is Alyssa Blackburn. I finished my coursework at Appalachian State in Spring 2018 and completed my internship at Fairfax County Public Schools August 2018-February 2019. I then worked with a private practice in my hometown and got my board certification in March 2019 before taking a job back in Fairfax, VA at NeuroSound Music Therapy with Kelsi in May 2019! Many of my clients are children and adolescents, and I’m mostly working virtually or in our clinic at this time. In addition to my board certification I’ve took the NMT course last fall.

My hopes with this course is to increase my knowledge in working with early childhood and focusing on their development within my work with this population. In addition to allowing me to better connect with my clients, I believe the knowledge I take from this course will help increase my legitimacy when working with other professionals.

[Author]

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