[Amanda Braden]

Singing: I have used singing to increase communication and vocalization by leaving off the ends of phrases of songs to encourage my clients to fill in the final word. While using this intervention in recent weeks after beginning this course, I have utilized more movement while singing as I’ve been reminded that music and movement go hand-in-hand. While working with a client in the control phase and utilizing singing and movement, I have noticed an increase in her vocalizations while moving and singing rather than just when singing. I believe the movement helps her sustain her attention, and also, she just likes to dance and move.

Playing Instruments: I sometimes play “Play/Stop” games with my clients in sessions. Since beginning this course, I have been more conscientious of ensuring that I facilitate longer pauses in the music before playing again.

Moving: I often use movement to recorded music with my teens with autism to provide them with opportunities to engage in sensory activities. I haven’t really changed this particular intervention in any way. However, as I mentioned above, I have been utilizing movement along with singing in recent weeks to help increase level of engagement during singing interventions.

Listening: Since most of my clients are beyond early childhood age, I often use music listening activities in which I ask my clients with autism to listen to the musical elements that they hear in recorded songs and express what they are hearing to me in order to increase their conversation and communication skills. I haven’t really altered this particular intervention. However, while working with a client in the independence phase yesterday, he was choosing to listen to me play instruments and sing rather than to participate in the music-making with me as he often does. He just sat, smiled, and nodded his head to the beat while I played and sang. Typically, I would be discouraged by his lack of participation, but after going through the material in this course, I remembered that was perfectly fine and completely appropriate for his developmental level.

[Amanda Braden]

Singing:
Awareness: Dynamics should be monitored during this level; Trust: Initiate vocalization in response to silence in music
Independence: Enjoys crescendo; Control: Uses varied vocal dynamics; Responsibility: Recognizes and reproduces “loud” and “soft”

Playing Instruments:
Awareness: Responds differently to sedative versus play-song music; Trust: Differentiates tempo changes from rhythmic changes
Independence: Begins to match intensity of movements to intensity of music; Control: Gains control of movements
Responsibility: Uses pulse when beating

Moving:
Awareness: Rhythmic movements are instinctual; Trust: Displays movement that is rhythmic but not synchronized to the music
Independence: Bounces and rocks rhythmically; Control: Generally has fast internal rhythm; Responsibility: Uses pulse when moving musically

Listening:
Awareness: Can discriminate pitches; Trust: Recognizes familiar melodies
Independence: Perceives change in melody when contour and range are altered; Control: Anticipate the end of a familiar phrase or song; Responsibility: Increases recognition of melodic rhythm without lyrics

[Amanda Braden]

While I don’t currently work with young children, I work with a teen girl with a developmental disability whom I would place in the control stage. Due to her lack of interest in the hello song that I’ve tried to use with her in sessions, I decided to adapt the “Good Morning” song to utilize as a hello song with her this week due to the unique melodic contour such as the octave that I thought might spark more interest in her. Also, I felt that the song I had previously used may not be as appropriate for her developmentally. While using the song this week in her session, I got some more direct eye contact from her, and she attempted to sing along with me with fewer prompts than she typically requires at the beginning of sessions. So, I plan to continue to utilize this song as a hello song in future sessions to increase her level of engagement and communication through singing. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful songs with us!

[Amanda Braden]

I currently work and live in Valparaiso, IN where a large number of people identify themselves as Christian and actively attend church. So, traditional and contemporary Christian music is somewhat prevalent in the community. There are a number of Greek families in the area, and I currently have a client who enjoys sharing Greek songs with me from his culture from time to time in sessions. There are two local radio stations – one is a Christian music station and the other is affiliated with Valparaiso University on which the music is often rock, alternative, or independent. Many people I know in the community also enjoy country music as well as pop music. Much of the music I hear at local events is country music, contemporary Christian music, or covers of popular songs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. The city also has an opera house that often puts on Broadway musicals. Other local venues often host country, folk, and rock musicians.

[Amanda Braden]

For about 6 months, I worked with a 2 ½ year-old child with Down’s Syndrome in individual music therapy sessions whom I would place in the developmental level of independence. She thoroughly enjoyed walking around the music room to explore what instruments and objects she was able to find. Also, she loved to strike the drums with her hands and shake the maraca. She loved to place colorful, sheer scarves over her head and would laugh as she looked at me imitating this behavior. Dancing was probably her favorite activity in sessions -she loved to bounce, spin, and clap her hands, and move her entire body from side to side to the music. Also, she really enjoyed singing familiar songs about animals like “Matilda the Gorilla” and “Five Little Monkeys” and was able to fill in the animal sounds with much independence towards the end of her treatment. She was a joy to work with, and it was fun to reminisce on the days I was able to work with her as I watched the independence phase in the training video.

[Amanda Braden]

One thing that I believe that I can personally bring to early childhood music therapy programs is my love for play and interaction with young children. My husband and I do not yet have our own children, but it isn’t uncommon to find me on the floor playing a game with my young nieces at family functions. Also, I have some experience in leading young children in singing worship songs at my church, and I thoroughly enjoy jumping and spinning around while singing with the children almost as much as they do. So, I think my interest and enjoyment in interacting with children and playing with them at their level will help me make children feel welcomed and have fun while participating in group sessions. Also, I hope it will help parents see the fun and joy in playing with their children as well as in watching them grow into healthy human beings. One other important thing I bring is my experience in working with individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. For parents of children with disabilities, I can help point them to programs, other therapies, support groups, etc. that are available for them and their children in the community and assure these parents that there’s so much support available to them and their child, even as their child grows into adulthood. I’ve seen the difference in my own clients (between those who received early intervention programs and those that did not) and see the importance in encouraging families to take steps as soon as they can to take advantage of the programs available to them and their children. So, I hope to provide support and encouragement to parents of children with disabilities as well as those with typically developing children.

[Amanda Braden]

One of the most valuable things that I took away from this week’s content was gaining a better understanding of all of the specific developmental milestones that children undergo as they age. It’s been quite some time since I studied early child development. So, it’s been great to really look at it closely again so that I can better communicate with parents and caregivers where their child is at and better understand where young children are coming from at each stage. I also appreciate that Beth took the time to discuss the “red flags.” I currently work with teens and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, but have had very little clinical experience working with very young children. So, I am fully aware of the behaviors, responses, etc. that are common among individuals with disabilities, but never quite knew when (chronologically, speaking) they may indicate a delay. So, that information was very helpful.

[Amanda Braden]

Hello Everyone!
My name is Amanda Braden, and I have been a board-certified music therapist for almost 4 years. While receiving my undergraduate degree at Western Illinois University, I worked with older adults in a retirement home as a student music therapist and provided individual and group music therapy sessions for aging adults with dementia and other health concerns. I completed a music therapy internship at Lakemary Center in Paola, KS, which is a specialized school and residential facility for children and adolescents (between ages 5-21) with psychiatric disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Soon after completing my internship, I moved to Valparaiso, Indiana to work full time as a music therapist for a company called Behavior Specialists of Indiana (BSI), which is where I am currently living and working – I have been there for over 3 ½ years now. BSI provides behavior therapy, music therapy, recreational therapy, ABA services, and mental health services to individuals and families in northern Indiana. I provide music therapy for adults and adolescents (my current caseload ranges from 14-65 years of age) with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Medicaid Waiver programs.

As you can see, I don’t have much experience in providing early childhood music therapy services. So, one of the reasons I have decided to take this course is to gain more knowledge, tools, and insight about working with this particular age group. Also, I am looking forward to gaining more knowledge about early childhood development as I currently work with many adults and teens that are cognitively at this level, and I believe this knowledge will help me structure their sessions in a way that better suits their needs and abilities. Another main reason for taking this course is strictly that as much as I truly enjoy my current job, I am feeling a tug to branch out and try out another avenue. Since I really enjoy working with young children, I’m very interested in becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider. Another important reason is that there is a great need in Valparaiso as well as nearby cities for quality, community-based early childhood music groups. I would like to help provide more opportunities for parents in this area to engage in enriching groups with their children in their own community. So, needless to say, I am very excited to begin this training and learn and grow as a music therapist!

[Author]

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