As music therapists, many of us utilize the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with our clients who have limited expressive communication skills. A recent study looked at the extent to which this communication system was successfully generalized to the non-treatment environment. Continue reading
Author Archives: Blythe
Stress, asthma, music, & rats.
Most likely you think that there is no relationship between stress, asthma, music, and rats. In most cases you’d probably be right. But recent research has attempted to determine the effect of “music therapy” on stress responses in rats; in this case rats with asthma. Continue reading
Music Training for Linguistic Abilities
In order to present both sides of the music training for speech and reading argument, I thought I’d comment on another study on this topic. Recent music neuroscience studies have shown that children who are engaged in music are changed by that engagement. For instance, children involved in music programs in school have been shown to have higher standardized test scores (Johnson & Memmot, 2006), children who practice and played piano have higher cortical responses to piano than non-musicians (Pantev et al. 1998), and children trained in music increase gray matter in areas of the motor cortex, auditory cortex, and corpus callosum (Hyde et al. 2009). Continue reading
Music Therapy Promising for Bereavement
Many music therapists work in medical, hospice, and palliative care settings. Within these setting some clinicians may also work in bereavement, helping families and loved ones with grief processes. A new meta-analysis investigated treatment methods for helping children and adolescents who are in bereaved and indicated music therapy as a promising treatment method. Continue reading
Does Music Therapy “Fail” Dyslexia?
After the article in the Science Daily reported that “Music Therapy Fails Dyslexics” there was a flurry of email to my inbox. How could this be true? What did they mean? I have been waiting until I could read the original research article (i.e., the one that is the topic of the above news article) before writing a response. Today, after weeks of waiting, the article has arrived! So, lets take a look and see what this article was all about (read abstract here). Continue reading
Rhythm in Infancy
When listening to music we often respond with movement of some sort. Some people will openly dance to what they hear, others will only slightly move their body, and some will tap their toe without realizing that they are moving. The ability to synchronize body movements to an external auditory stimulus has been widely explored in the literature. From this research we know that we can entrain (or synchronize) to a pulse without having to think about it (see Thaut, 2005 for in-depth review). But what about the infant? Do young children move their bodies to music? Continue reading
Shared Networks in Perception of Song and Speech
The mystery of how music is perceived in the brain has begun to receive an ample amount of attention in the music neuroscience literature. With the invention of new technologies that can measure brain activity in vivo, more and more studies on cortical activations with music listening are appearing in the literature. These studies provide interesting insight as to what happens when we are listening or producing music. A recent study has examined cortical networks involved with speech and song perception. Continue reading
Improvisational Music Therapy for Children with Autism
When you think of need areas for children with autism, it is no doubt that emotional expression, social responsiveness, and behavioral/motivational aspects come to mind. Although there are differences between children who have an ASD, these are hallmark characteristics of the neurodevelopmental disorder. In a community that is built on social engagement (from expressing wants/needs to occupational situations) these skills can be essential to independent functioning. Some new research has begun to show that improvisational music therapy can be beneficial for children with an ASD. Continue reading
Social Groups Benefit Children with Autism
If you work with children with autism, you have probably targeted social skills on a regular basis. A deficit in social skills is one of the most identifiable characteristics of autism, leading to life-long challenges in developing relationships with others, functioning within social environments, and working as a productive member of a community. This area of need was the focus of a recent synthesis that compared studies investigating different treatment interventions that target social skills. Continue reading
Systematic Review of CAM Treatments
There are countless complementary and alternative medical treatments (CAM) for children with autism – from nutritional supplements to oxygen treatments, there are numerous options for trying to alleviate or improve characteristics of ASD. With all the options out there, what should we say to the parent/administrator who asks about the use of CAM treatments for children with autism? A recent systematic review looked into novel and emerging treatments – with some good news for music therapy. Continue reading