[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

As the only practicing music therapist on staff, I often find it important to build a shared understanding of what music therapy is and how it applies to the population with which we work. The information in this training deepened my knowledge on this topic and also offered me language to use to share this knowledge with colleagues and families.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

This course has confirmed experiences that I’ve had working with this population, provided me with language to discuss music therapy and early childhood development with colleagues and families, and given me a framework for beginning my own group!
I’m looking forward to continuing to gather research to support my practice and to developing my skills as a group facilitator with this population.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I’m looking forward to engaging with families in a group and the opportunities for growth and exploration that this setting affords, both for myself and for clients.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I think there are several strategies that can be utilized to give each child the best opportunity to benefit as much as possible from groups.
Appropriately framing expectations of “success” for ourselves and for parents is vital. For example, success may mean staying in the room for group even if a child is not yet able to engage.
Providing a group environment that is flexible and supportive, in which children and their caregivers can explore and make mistakes, and providing consistent, specific positive reinforcement also contributes to opportunity for success. I’ve also found that narrating a child’s and caregiver’s actions and interactions offers many opportunities for learning, consolidating gains, supporting group members, and modeling.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I appreciate the previous posts, which helped to clarify my understanding of this terminology.

From what I have gathered, music for development encompasses the use of music strategies to support general development and provide opportunities for children to attempt and practice milestones at their own pace, in the context of the musical environment.

Music for skill building is a more targeted approach that utilizes music interventions to facilitate growth toward a specified goal or a targeted skill.

In order to further clarify this concept for myself, I applied it to my current work. A child who is seen at home for individual therapy has an IFSP that state specific goals or skills. In individual music therapy sessions, a music for skill building framework is primarily applied and MT interventions are designed to target these goals (e.g. using the signs for “more” and “for me” to communicate needs). Should this child attend a center-based MT group, in which a music for development framework is applied, they will likely have opportunities to practice the targeted skill being worked on in individual therapy, but the music experiences in group will be designed to provide opportunity for the enrichment of a variety of developmental levels and the exploration of a variety of individual skills.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

Family Sprouts: individual, sharing, cooperation, scaffolding, support
Transition: Provide instruments of various levels to explore while families settle
Gathering/ greeting song: “It’s music time” with older children helping identify members
Movement: adaptation of “gather round” with directives to move in different ways (sway along, march, jump)
About me: “You have two eyes”
Instrument: “I like this song” or “You play a little and I play a little” providing opportunities for turn-taking with dyads
Transition/ goodbye: “It’s time to say goodbye” and “thank you for the music” with opportunities for members to thank one another

SP3: active, creative, social, functional language, independence

Transition: “gather round”
Gathering/ greeting song: “It’s music time”
Movement: “the leaves are falling” or “my lady wind”
About me: “all of this is me”
Instrument: “All night all day” with opportunities for exploring multiple instruments and imitation
Transition/ goodbye: “It’s time to say goodbye”

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I appreciated Meredith’s comments about the importance of positioning and use of space when working with children of multiple ages. Logistics and use of space can be a challenge when attempting to provide a safe and engaging space for multi-age groups. One of my immediate concerns when considering mixed-age groups is how to keep everyone safe with energetic toddlers who are motivated to move their bodies and may not be practiced in being aware of less mobile babies who may get “underfoot.” Of course, these challenges also offer valuable opportunities for children to practice skills that they would not be required to in other groups!
I appreciated the framework of facilitating shared meaning while maintaining opportunities to feel individual in these types of groups.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I agree with other posts that an understanding of typical responses to stimuli and signs of engagement and over-stimulation can be very useful in understanding a child’s level of stimulation and that children and situations are also highly individualized. I’ve found the concept of a “sensory diet” helpful in better understanding children who seem to have atypical responses to stimulation or who are often dysregulated. Though this is generally a resource for older children, I find it helpful that is provides a framework for understanding the nuances of children’s responses, how their responses may differ from one minute or day to the next, and how stimuli that we may not even notice may dramatically alter their experience. For example, a child I worked with actively engaged in and enjoyed playgroup until the beginning of summer when his engagement decreased dramatically. After several weeks of confusion, it was suggested that he might be impacted by the sound of the AC unit, a stimuli that most of us barely noticed, that had been turned on for the summer season.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

Jess, I appreciated your comment about scarves. Has anyone found a type of scarf or alternative to scarves that is easier to clean?

I haven’t begun group yet, but I have typically used small shakers (some with ring handles for easy access; not egg shakers), frame drums, a gathering drum, and sometimes a compilation of small xylophones with plastic mallets (that can be easily cleaned). I also use my ukulele or a guitar in certain circumstances.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

Play, explore, move, bond, independence

In Sprouting Melodies 2, we provide opportunities for children 6-18 months to explore an expanding range of developmentally appropriate responses to music and play. Our music therapists select music experiences designed to build
expressive and receptive communication skills, motor planning, social interaction, and sense of self and independence. Children in Sprouting Melodies 2 may begin to move more independently, vocalize, interact with other group members, and explore instruments in response to music activities. Caregivers are encouraged to sing and move along in group and at home.

Transition: allow time for children and families to settle and explore space while group members arrive
Gathering song: It’s music time today
Bonding: Wiggly, jiggly car
Gross motor: March with my baby
Instrument play: Dancing in the middle
Me song: Just like me
Goodbye: It’s time to say goodbye and Thank you for the music

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I think the distinction between music therapy in clinical and community groups can be somewhat subjective, but I appreciate the importance of carefully considering how we as music therapists present the services we’re offering to families. In the setting in which I currently practice, groups primarily consist of children who are enrolled in early intervention and their caregivers. This means that they have been formally evaluated, have an IFSP, and have or will have a termination plan. That being said, many of these groups are also open to members of the community (children who are not enrolled in EI and their caregivers) and the siblings of EI children under three. I can see how this type of group might sometimes resemble a clinical group and sometimes more closely resemble a community model.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

Holding, bonding, exploring, gentle, warm</p>
<p>In Sprouting Melodies 1, we provide a supportive environment for infants and caregivers to explore music together. In this developmental stage, music provides children opportunities to expand awareness of their environment, their senses, and their caregivers. Structured, repetitive music experiences facilitate the child’s developing sense of trust. The music in these groups is designed to be calm, repetitive, limited in dynamic variation, and infant-directed, allowing participants to respond with developmentally appropriate skills. We encourage caregivers to participate actively and to use the songs and strategies in their daily routines. </p>
<p>Transition into group:<br />
Gathering song: “Hello it’s music time” or the hello song from the video<br />
Bonding song: “Row it faster”<br />
Lap ride/ Frolic play: “Wiggly, Jiggly Car”<br />
Gross motor/ Movement: “That’s all makes up me” (This is an alternative to “Head and shoulders,” correct?)<br />
Goodbye song: “It’s time to say goodbye” This song has distinctive ascending intervals in the A section that I find nicely cues children that a transition in beginning before we sing goodbye to each child in the B section.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

I’m currently working with infants and toddlers and their families in early intervention. The sessions in this setting typically occur as in-home, individual or family sessions. This work provides experience with a wide range of needs, strengths, and goals, including children with development or medical diagnoses, children with delays, and children exposed to risk factors. Whether the family views me as a mental health clinician, music therapist, or ‘teacher,’ I use music in almost every session. I try to find as many opportunities as possible to provide accessible music-based strategies that build on the child’s play, activities, and routines and can be integrated by the caregivers.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

As others have written, the needs of the families I work with can vary widely but also include many similar needs. The major themes in these needs include acceptance, support, and knowledgeable guidance. Most families need varying levels of support understanding their child’s development, both general development and their child’s particular needs.

[Gwendolyn Van Baalen]

In my experience, connection and rapport are the first step in helping families with young children. I have found that music interventions foster rapport between those sharing them and provide opportunities for connection between caregivers and their children. The structure of the music provides a safe container in which for caregivers to explore their connection with their children while providing a multi-sensory experience through which a child can experience this connection with the caregiver.

The knowledgeable structuring of music interventions also provides an accessible medium for caregivers to intentionally engage in their child’s development. For example, a song can become a means by which to help a child build the muscle control needed to sit independently and meet subsequent motor milestones.

[Author]

Posts