[Kayla Hamilton]

I currently have a 5 year old client with Autism, ADHD, ADD, and SPD. In every session we have interventions that involve all four areas, either together or separately. My client has low verbal output so we encourage singing during all interventions to stimulate speech. After seeing her picture schedule, she recognizes the activity and sings the corresponding song. We use movement throughout the session to refocus, be aware of our bodies, and for attention interventions. We use instrument play for turn taking, attention, and sharing. Listening is difficult at times in session due to stimulation, attention, and hyperactivity. We do use music to assist in listening skills. I have personally found that these areas are most successful when paired together. It provides more opportunity for the client to have a better understanding and it helps to better organize the brain.

[Kayla Hamilton]

Singing:
-Awareness: Audible breathing and pitched vocalizations
-Trust: Matching of pitches and creation of spontaneous melodies
-Independence: Recognizes and vocalizes familiar melodies; use of glissandos, fermatas, and intentional silence
-Control: Spontaneous songs that lack tonal center and rhythmic stability
-Responsibility: Sings familiar songs with melodic and rhythmic accuracy

Playing instruments:
-Awareness: Reaching towards music source and attending with body positioning (towards or away from music)
-Trust: Exploration of instruments with mouth and hands
-Independence: Choosing what instrument to play and how to play it
-Control: Instrument play mirrors music
-Responsibility: Able to maintain a steady beat

Moving:
-Awareness: Looking or not looking at music and reaching towards the music source
-Trust: Positioning body towards or away from music
-Independence: Uses whole body and isolates body parts rhythmically
-Control: Dances spontaneously to music
-Responsibility: Movement to a music sequence

Listening:
-Awareness:Pitch and vocal timbre discrimination
-Trust:Recognition of familiar melodies and when they are altered
-Independence: Matches movement to the intensity of music
-Control: Stopping current activities to focus on music
-Responsibility: Listening to music of others and engaging in music making with others

[Kayla Hamilton]

I am new to this community, I am not sure the exact musical culture yet. It seems a lot of people in Colorado prefer acoustic style songs. At the clinic I work at, we have a lot of clients that are from different regions of the US (partially due to the large military presence in this community) so we are able to use a lot of genres. We use pop, young children’s music, classic rock, country, rap, and we even have a 4 year old that likes Metallica.

[Kayla Hamilton]

The clinic I work at loves using the songs from the video! We use “Just Like Me” for awareness and bonding with caregivers. We love to use these different songs from the video and use them to fit our client’s needs, as mentioned in the video. I love how so many of the songs are easily adaptable, while also being very memorable.

[Kayla Hamilton]

I had an experience with a client who is 4 that has a rare neurological disease. When we began treatment, she was in the awareness stage. She would reach towards us and/or instruments during music. She would also attended by turning towards music, accompanied by a change of affect. After a few months of treatment, we saw a sudden transition into the independence stage; I did not notice a transition into or out of the trust stage. She began to imitate us vocally and rhythmically. She also began to produce glissandos and use crescendos in her babbling. I do not work with her directly at this point, but I see her from time to time. Her progress is amazing! She now has music therapy services four days a week!

[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!

[Kayla Hamilton]

I think that can bring flexibility and appropriate energy levels to the early childhood music program. I feel that it is very important to meet the child at their currently level of development. In a group setting, it gives us a unique opportunity to facilitate group members encourage each other and learn from each other. I also feel that it is important to address caregiver questions and concerns ,as well as point out achievements and the possibility of musical aptitude.

[Kayla Hamilton]

Hello! My name is Kayla Hamilton and I currently live in Colorado Springs, CO with my two cats, Vera Fang and Katie Purry, and my fish, Fillet-0. I work at NeuroRhythm Music Therapy Services, LLC as a music therapist and social media coordinator. I finished my internship at NeuroRhythm Music Therapy Services, LLC in mid November. During the month of December, I became a MT-BC and graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. The majority of my clinical experience has been with children and adults with developmental and neurological disabilities, and I currently work with this population. I am looking for new ways to apply the knowledge I learned in university while facilitating music experiences. I am also looking for ideas for a music enrichment program that my boss, co-worker, and I will be starting at a pre-school for ages 6 months to 6! I have really excited to learn from other MT-BCs with a variety of backgrounds and experiences! 🙂

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