Children & Music Therapy

A relatively new disciple, music therapy was created to address the special communicative and therapeutic needs of certain patients. Children, in particular, have been known to benefit tremendously from music therapy. Research has shown that children living with autism and those fighting cancer may benefit from music therapy programs.

Definition

• Music therapy is a multi-disciplinary field in which musicians are trained to be licensed therapists; using music as their primary tool for therapy. "Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program," according to the American Music Therapy Association. The use of music in a creative, organized, therapeutic manner is often part of the music therapy process.

Benefits

• Music therapy has shown many positive responses in children. Since children tend to have naturally heightened senses, the methods used in music therapy works well with their sense of learning and exploration.

Cancer

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, children in Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children who were hospitalized with cancer, benefited from the use of interactive music therapy. Allowing children to participate and interact with their music therapists may cause an increase in emotional well-being for the young cancer patients. According to the American Cancer Society, the 65 children in Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children wall showed some kind of benefit from the music therapy. Some children reported rest being easier for them during the therapy and afterward. Other children seemed less anxious and some were able to keep their mind off of their cancer and the treatments they had to endure.

Autism

• Children on the Autistic Spectrum benefit in many ways from music therapy. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, music therapy helps professionals to diagnose and assess children for autism. Using music therapy to assess a child for autism can help bring out the strengths, weaknesses, potentials and limitations in a child. Additionally, music therapy can be used as intervention therapy for children already diagnosed with autism.

Funding

• Several states sponsor free or low cost music therapy for children. Minnesota and Indiana, for example, offer a waiver program for music therapy programs for developmentally disabled children, according to the American Music Therapy Association.