Some of you may have noticed an absence in the stream of research reviews over the past week and a half.  Although I don’t want to make this blog about me and what I’m doing, experiences from the past week.5 are driving me to do just that. Last week I was at Kris’ Camp and I’d like to tell you about the experience, since my 1st camp changed the way I practice music therapy.

I am a clinician. During the school year I hold one clinic day a week and have a handful of clients that fill my limited clinic spots. There are times that I really miss the clinic. Summer provides a nice opportunity to get more involved.  Over the past few years I have been a MT at Kris’ Camp, an interdisciplinary therapy camp for kids with ASD. My first camp (two years ago) changed how I look at autism, my approach in treatment, and my ability to facilitate client success.

Let me say first that Kris’ Camp is an awesome experience. The founder, Kathy Berger, is an inspiration and an advocate for children with ASD. She is a physical therapist who looks at ASD as a psychomotor regulation disorder (I’ll do a post on that topic soon). Her own research has examined evidence showing differences in the neurological pathways/cortical areas of children with ASD. She has attempted to connect some of the common “behaviors” associated with ASD to these neurological differences (meaning that common “behaviors” aren’t looked at as “behaviors” at all).

The philosophy of camp is also one of empowerment and assuming competence. These concepts weren’t new to me when I first went to camp. However, after watching Michelle Hardy (lead therapist) I realized that my approach in therapy fell short. After one day with Michelle, I could see the impact that really assuming competence and empowering the children had on their ability to achieve their goals.  At Kris’ Camp I learned to believe that great things could happen, set my expectations high, maintain a positive approach, and explain why to the children.

I now walk into the therapy room believing that each child can be their “best” self and that I can be my “best” self.  I not only believe in them, but I tell them that I believe in them. I expect the children to rise above any barriers that they or others have set for them. They can really achieve anything (and they do).

We support the children with positive words- they hear “don’t”, “stop”, “no” often enough. We change this to “I can” and “I will”, permitting the child to learn the best way to regulate themselves in different situations with self-talk language. Furthermore, we don’t make therapy a mystery – I now tell my clients why we are doing an exercise and what part of their brain is involved while they are engaged in the exercise (using scientific and neurological terms as age-appropriate).

This past week I had the privilege of watching 9 campers reach for the stars while the staff watched in awe.  It is amazing what children can accomplish given the right accommodations, support, and encouragement. I am already looking forward to next year’s experience.

Thats enough of that – I have some exciting things planned for MTRB in the near future. You’ll soon see some guest research reviews and articles on topics such as “what is evidence-based practice”. I am also working on “pro music therapy” reference lists for different populations – so stay tuned!