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A Resource for Music Therapy Career Success

If you ever need an awesome FREE resource check out MT Career Success, a free music therapy e-course from MusicWorksPublications.com. This course has five units and is a workbook and audio discussions that help you prepare for career issues for students, interns, new professional, and experienced professional in music therapy. You can even earn CMTE credits for each unit if that is something you are interested in. If you are looking for more free courses Music Works Publications also has several ethic courses.

There are four units within this e-course, which include, exploring career options, securing employment, maximizing your career, and weathering a storm. For this blog post I’m going to focus on some highlights from the second unit, securing employment. I’ve learned that it is important to take advantage of your learning time as a student because even though it may seem like you are busy, as a professional you will have less extra time to learn. It is important to offer top quality services by knowing the current research and being open to different jobs that you may not have envisioned because you never know where it will take your career and how it will benefit other professionals in your field. In Chapter 2 of this unit Cathy Knoll gave some great tips about who to reach out to when you are in the job search. For example reach out to advocacy groups for clients, educational agencies, and try and volunteer so you begin to meet people and understand how those agencies or companies are run. This will help aid you in the process if you do present a program proposal because you know who you are working with, you can gain some understanding of their budget, and you may gain supporters through clients, caregivers or employees that believe in your work.

One of the biggest takeaways I found from this e–course was learning about the differences and benefits of using the top down or bottom up approach when contacting a facility for employment. It is important to consider both ways because every company is different and one approach might be better then the other depending on the company’s style. The top down approach is going straight to the administration and writing a letter to ask for an appointment, introducing yourself over LinkedIn, making a phone call, or sending an email. This approach works well when you are prepared to present how music therapy could greatly positively impact their clients and you feel as though the administration is open to new ideas. The bottom up approach is where the referral comes from the clients or staff because this will have a greater impact on the administration and may lead to more success. Each approach is different but this is important to assess when approaching a company because it could make or break your chance of success with the administration.

This information above has just scratched the surface of unit 2, and if you want to learn more I highly suggest checking out this free resource. You can find this resource by going to www.MusicWorksPublications.com

Emily

Assessments

As a music therapist the first step when working with a client is assessment. Assessments are important because it helps the therapist to learn more about the client and guides the therapeutic process and goal writing. There are many different ways to do a music therapy assessment, and there is not yet one standardized way to do a music therapy assessment. This is because when working with other fields and reporting on a client’s progress it is easier to communicate with other professions when a standardized assessment that has been tested is being used. It is also helpful to use an assessment that other professionals are already familiar with, so there is consistent communication. Some music therapists write their own assessments based on their knowledge of the population they work with or based on already created standardized assessments. For this post I wanted to share a few standardized assessment that MTCCA has used and have found helpful when assessing clients with various needs.

The first assessment I would like to share is the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). This assessment uses a likert scale to measure severity of social skills related to autism spectrum disorder. Most of the time this report is filled out by the parents, caretaker, or the teacher. This assessment focuses on five main social domains, social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Once the assessment is completed, the higher the score indicates increased severity of behaviors that interfere with social functioning. This assessment can be used for anyone from 2.5 years old through adulthood. SRS shows the best results when more then one person fills out the report for a participant. An accompanying CD-ROM analyzes the data and creates a report summarizing the client’s scores.

You can purchase this assessment at:

http://www4.parinc.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=SRS-2

The next assessment is the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). The PEDI is used for children 6 months to 7.5 years of age. Specifically the PEDI measures the capability and performance of functional activities of self-care, mobility, and social function. This assessment looks at a child’s ability to do an actual skill. Sometimes it is necessary to have the caregivers help at some point because of time restraints. The PEDI can also still be effective for a child who is older but they are functioning at or below the age of 7.5-years.

You can purchase this assessment at:

https://www.pearsonclinical.com/childhood/products/100000505/pediatric-evaluation-of-disability-inventory-pedi.html

The last assessment is the Special Education Music Therapy Assessment (SEMTAP). This assessment is used in the school setting when working with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The SEMTAP focuses on IEP goals and assesses them with music and without music to find out if music therapy should be a part of the student’s IEP. A criterion-referenced test is used to show the students abilities. This assessment is only used by a music therapist and typically includes, reviewing the child’s IEP, interviewing members of the interdisciplinary team, observing the child in a non-musical setting, administering a music therapy assessment, and then reporting and presenting the data collected.

You can purchase this is you are a music therapist from:

http://www.preludemusictherapy.com/instruct.html

There are many more types of standardized assessments and a great way to find more is by talking to colleagues that work with the population you work with.

Happy assessing!

Emily

The Out of Sync Child: Vestibular System

During internship for a few weeks of symposium I read the book The Out Of Sync Child. This book was very informative and gave me a better idea of how the clients I am working with process the world. The Out Of Sync Child has a chapter on each of our senses and how those can be affected for those with Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory Processing Disorder is the inability to use information received through the sense in order to function in daily life. The five main areas included are tactile, vestibular, proprioception, vision, and auditory. This book has so much information in it so for this post I am going to focus on Vestibular.

First, when we are using the vestibular we have the ability to tell where our body is in space specifically by sending sensory messages from the neck, eyes, and body to Central Nervous System to generate muscle tone to move smoothly.

The functions of the vestibular include:

• Balance and where the body is directionally
• Awareness of dizziness
• Awareness of other peoples movements
• Keeping us from falling (which is a learned skill)

Clients either have overresponsivity or underresponsivity to the vestibular senses. They can also be vestibular seeking. Knowing the difference and observing this behavior can make all the difference during a session. When a client is overresponsive they don’t like fast movement so they like to stay stationary, and they don’t enjoy spinning and even sometimes driving in a car. When a client is underresponsive they don’t notice movement and they frequently fall. When a client is vestibular seeking they love movement, like jumping, spinning, swinging, climbing, and they need to move to stay focused.

Some typical problems for clients with vestibular dysfunction include:

• Being uncoordinated/bad posture
• Visual problems (looking from the board to their desk)
• Difficulty interpreting language
• No awareness of falling
• Bilateral coordination is slow
• Hard time riding a moving bike

You can find The Out of Sync Child at:

Emily Kent

Improvisation

There are many techniques a music therapist can use when working with clients. This week I have learned about the importance of improvisation especially when working with clients who have autism or who are nonverbal. One study called The Effects of Improvisational Music Therapy on Joint Attention Behaviors in Autistic Children: A Randomized Controlled Study shows the benefits of improvisation with this population. They found that music therapy led to longer lengths of eye contact and turn taking. Techniques such as matching were used to fit with the participants style, dynamic and tempo, which led to more connections between the therapist and child. This study also found that the improvisation aspect helped the children work through their rigidity and inflexibility, which often children with autism struggle with.

Improvisational music therapy could be a whole course because there are so many techniques and methods to learn. Below I have defined a few improvisational techniques that I find useful and have used with clients before:

Mirroring: imitating or copying the client musically and meeting them exactly where they are.

Reflecting/Matching: following the client’s mood musically, and playing the style, tempo, dynamics, and complexity of the music the same.

Grounding: creating a beat or melody that anchors the client’s music. This could be holding strong octaves, playing a steady pulse on the drum, or playing a simple ostinato.

Dialoguing: communicating through musical play. This could be similar to a conversation where you may interject, take turns, or play at the same time.

All of these techniques allow the therapist to begin to connect with the client, and can be very effective if the client is having a hard time engaging with you. In some cases the client might begin to notice you are playing with them, and this can help to guide the therapeutic experience for the rest of the session.

Emily Kent

Resource

Kim, J., Wigram, T., & Gold, C. (2008). The Effects of Improvisational Music Therapy on Joint Attention Behaviors in Autistic Children: A Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1758-1766.

The Importance of Self Care and Helpful Resources

It is important for everyone, not just therapists, to evaluate their personal well-being. This can be difficult when your job (or internship) is focused on the success of others especially when it seems there is always a huge list of things to do. I was reminded this week that I need to take some time for myself, even if that means changing my to do list around for that week. In any situation where you are working with others, if you yourself are not taken care of, how do you expect to help guide others in a successful way? I think every so often it is important to be mindful of what you need physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, in relationships, and in the workplace. Taking a few minutes to write down my needs in each area has been helpful. Below I have attached a simple form to help you write a Self Care Plan from REACHOUT.com. When I did this alongside my coworkers I was able to see the areas I am lacking in, and also heared ideas of how to improve them from other coworkers. If you are doing this on your own, to get some ideas check out the link below where you can find the self care plan and other resources.

Another idea to help you stay mindful of self-care is to put a sticky note on your mirror in the bathroom or in a place that you will see it every day as a reminder of what you want to do each day to feel balanced. This can help you to just take a second to take a few deep breaths or remind you to make time to exercise, eat well, or maybe even just talk with a friend or family member on the phone. Another way to be mindful and take some time to relax can be done through listening to relaxation tracks from YouTube, or using an app like Headspace. This can even be beneficial for your clients as well, so below I am sharing a video, The Headspace app/website and a few scripts that you can use for relaxation.

Self Care plan and Further Information:

Self care plan

https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/developing-a-self-care-plan

Relaxation Track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86HUcX8ZtAk

Headspace (Check this awesome website out): https://www.headspace.com/

Scripts for Relaxation: https://hubpages.com/health/Progressive-Muscle-Relaxation-Script

https://hubpages.com/health/Guided-Imagery-Forest-Script

Happy Mindfulness,

Emily Kent

Everyone Can Move

Movement is an essential part of life. We are constantly moving our bodies, and for those where actions of daily living may be more difficult it is still essential for them to move as well. These two books below (Everyone Can Move and Music is For Everyone by Laurie Farnan and Faith Johnson) give a great overview of why movement is so important to our well-being and show how as a therapist we can use music to help facilitate beneficial movements. From these books I have learned the importance of movement, and as an intern, have utilized these skills in sessions with my clients. For example, I often will incorporate music and movement following the opening song because of its ability to the grab the attention of my clients because it quickly helps them engage in the session. Movement is also a great way to re-engage your clients near the end of the session, especially when they are tired (e.g. late afternoon or evening sessions). These books also helped me to think about how I am positioning a client when I am working with them, and to consider what instruments I am giving to each client because that will affect their ability to be successful and to stay engaged.

Everyone Can Move- Short Summary of Important Sections

It is important to continue to work on the use of motor movements even if there are impairments because it helps the client use their senses. Music motivates people to move, and causes a physiological effect on the body. Music stimulates the nervous system and can cause large muscle groups or small muscle groups to move. Movement at the beginning of a music therapy session can be beneficial because it grabs the client’s attention and focus, and warm’s up the central nervous system so they are primed for later activities. Even if a client is not ambulatory, they can still move. These are called non-locomotor movements. Moving as a group is also important because it not only helps with moving the body but it also works on social skills. It is important to remember that movement is also beneficial when it is creative or expressive. This means that even if it is something copied and repeated it is still a form of self-expression. Ways to help facilitate this type of movement would be by first modeling a movement and using these movements throughout activities and then giving opportunities to move freely during an activity.

Music is for Everyone- Short Summary of Important Sections

Everyone can participate in music as it is motivating and inviting because of music’s components. Music affects the auditory senses as well as the physical senses because of vibrations. Music stimulates the entire brain and is first processed below the level of awareness and then at awareness level, which is why it affects many areas like attention, memory, language, social skills, and voluntary movement. People respond to music in four different ways, moving, playing, singing, and listening. Body posture is also important when working with people with disabilities because if they aren’t supported in the right places they will have a hard time participating in the activities. Fine motor skills can be worked on through playing an instrument because it is motivating and it effectively improves these skills. For example playing the triangle or castanet works on pincer and tripod grasp. It is also important to remember how much effort it takes to play an instrument and you may need to re-evaluate if the client it having a hard time playing the instrument. Remember that rhythm will bring the group together and the words will direct the group.

Where you can purchase this book:

http://www.westmusic.com/p/everyone-can-move-book-804107

Where you can purchase this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Everyone-Laurie-Farnan-Johnson/dp/0931205212

Citation:

Farnan, L., & Johnson, F. (1988). Everyone can move. New Berlin, WI: Jenson.

Farnan, L., & Johnson, F. (1988). Everyone can move. New Berlin, WI: Jenson

Emily Kent

DIR Floortime® Model

Joy can be derived from numerous things, relationships, activities, foods, nature; the list goes on from the most miniscule pleasures to the grandest indulgences. What brings joy to you? What motivates you, inspires your creativity, connects you to those around you? Relating to those around us is an important aspect of daily life and for people with autism this can be particularly challenging.

Developmental, Individual Differences, and Relationship-Based Model of Intervention (DIR) uses affect-based interactions to encourage social, emotional, and cognitive development in children with autism focusing largely on the caregiver-child relationship.

The DIR Floortime model provides some important and applicable points, especially in regards to music therapy. The basis of the DIR model surrounds the necessity to meet the child where they are at and encourages the caregiver to see the world through the eyes of their child. This is similar to the iso principal of music therapy, where the musical stimuli should match the emotional state of the participant. Both of these tactics require careful observation, assessment, and empathy. We learn what we care about, and therefore, a child will be more interested in what you are saying or doing if you follow their lead and build the interaction from there.

Another important aspect of both music therapy and the DIR Floortime model is scaffolding developmental expectations and goals for a child. It is important to observe small improvements in any aspect of the child’s behavior or relationship with others. Celebrate the small victories and give praise easily.

Thank you to Marlee Burgeson for coming to the MTCCA office to further educate our staff on the DIR Floortime model.

For more info on the DIR Floortime model check out profectum.org

Shannon Flaherty

Gallup’s Strengths Finder

Many times in life we are asked to look at our weaknesses and see how we improve upon them. Although it is a good practice to be aware of our shortcomings, it can blind us to our positive qualities. Shifting focus to strengths can be difficult but the outcome can be beneficial for numerous reasons.

Before starting my internship with MTCCA, I was asked to take the Gallup Strength Finder 2.0 test. This test analyzes your strengths and gives a personalized report based on your answers. Each member of the MTCCA team takes this test, giving us a platform and common language to discuss potential ways to positively impact the team. I had the opportunity to participate in a team building exercise with the MTCCA staff. We were split into two groups, competing to see who could build the tallest tower using a paper bag, uncooked spaghetti, and 2 feet of masking tape in 15 minutes. Although my team did not win, we were able to observe each other’s strengths in action, whether it was in planning the tower, coming up with creative solutions to problems that arose during the process, or encouraging other team members. MTCCA is an incredibly positive environment, where the staff not only focuses and builds upon their own strengths, but constantly looks towards highlighting the strengths of their clients.

The idea of focusing on strengths instead of faults heavily aligns with positive psychology, a relatively new branch of psychology that looks at people’s strengths and focuses on positive functioning. I have attached a Ted Talk by Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, which further explains its history and application.

https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology

The book and related strength test MTCCA uses is:

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Here are some questionnaires related to positive psychology including a free strength based test you can take:  https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter

MTCCA team building exercise during the strengths seminar

Shannon Flaherty