What
offers an effective means for our children to
learn and grow? How can our children develop
a better sense of focus and concentration? What
type of intervention allows both young boys and
girls the ability to improve their power to remember?
What type of intervention is commonly used to
help children learn the alphabet? How can all
of our parental aspirations be achieved in a
fun-filled, creative and non-intrusive manner?
The
answer to these questions has been around for
thousands of years. But only recently has this
field been recognized and implemented in selected
educational settings. The therapeutic use of
music or Music Therapy, as it is commonly called,
offers parents and children answers to many of
the challenges of everyday life. According to
the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), “Music
therapy is an established health and human service
profession using music to improve our quality
of life by optimizing health and wellness and
addressing the needs of children and adults with
disabilities and illnesses.” I suggest that music
therapy, while being an effective treatment for
people suffering from disabilities and illnesses,
can be beneficial to all people with or without
disabilities and illnesses.
HOW
CAN THAT BE?
Let
us look at the intrinsic nature of music and its
therapeutic application to get a better understanding
of how it can be beneficial to people of all walks
of life. Music therapy, utilized by a trained professional,
can excite us, calm us, make us smile, make us
cry, release our inner feelings and increase our
learning potential. As a therapy, music stimulates
our entire brain not just the creative or the analytic
areas.
Just
take a look back at helping your children learn
their ABC’s. By using a simple sing-song pattern,
the letters of the alphabet are imprinted in
a child’s memory. This musical rote memory tool
is effective in teaching children their addresses
and phone numbers. It can ease the education
process in learning how to count. Teaching song
phrases to kids demonstrates grammar and sentence
construction. It can be effective in teaching
children historical events and sto-ries. It conveys
feelings, emotions and love.
My
wife and I experienced this phenomenon with our
five year old son as he grew from infancy to
kindergarten. Singing simple musical phrases
behind thoughts or ideas instilled the information
that we have shared with him in his memory. A
case in point occurred during Fire Safety Week
2001. To the tune BINGO, our son learned what
to do in case of a fire or emergency. A simple
melody communicated an important and possibly
life saving message.
SPECIAL
NEEDS KIDS
There
are children that are challenged by physical, emotional,
behavioral, cognitive and developmental issues.
These children have demonstrated benefits from
the inclusion of music therapy in their indi-vidual
education plans. While directing the music therapy
curriculum at the Archway Programs Lower School
located in Atco, New Jersey, I had the opportunity
to assist children through young adults confront
serious impediments. The many faces of children
dealing with autism, developmental disabilities,
cerebral palsy, down syndrome and multiple sensory
integration issues greeted me each and every morning.
My task was to make the learning process fun and
more meaningful through music therapy intervention.
My friends at the Archway Programs grew to enjoy
the music therapy experience, and I was able to
offer special assistance as these kids matured
and learned together. It was an experience I continue
to remember fondly and the kids I will never forget.
ALL
KIDS' NEEDS ARE SPECIAL
All children are special and have their own set of
special needs in the complex world in which we live
today. We, as parents, want the best for our children.
We need to recognize the value of music as a discipline
and to be proactive in advocating music education
and music therapy as a modality for all children.
For
more information concerning music therapy, contact
the American Music Therapy Association at (301)
589-3300 or www.musictherapy.org. For more information
about Archway Programs, contact Ms. Sue Lafferty,
Lower School Principal at 856-767-5757.
Jerry
O’Leary, MA, MT-BC, is a board certified music
therapist practicing in the Delaware County,
PA area. He recently formed a music therapy
provider service known as MusicWorks. The purpose
of MusicWorks is to address the needs of diversified
populations in restoring, improving, and maintaining
a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. For more
information, please contact Jerry O’Leary at
610-449-9669 or email at gerald.oleary@gte.net.
Visit www.MusicWorksWonders.com for more info.
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