Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableFamily-centered music therapy in the home environment: Promoting interpersonal engagement between children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents(Oxford University Press, 2012-01-01)Family-centered practice is a widespread approach guiding how early intervention services support families with children with special needs such as autism spectrum disorder. An important feature of this support is its provision in natural settings such as the home environment. Ultimately, family-centered practitioners endeavor to embed therapeutic approaches into the child's daily routines so that they can be facilitated in part by the family. This approach is particularly useful with young children with autism spectrum disorder as a way of promoting interpersonal engagement and therefore the development of early social and communication skills. A model for applying family-centered practice to music therapy methods is discussed through reflections on practice and case examples.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableA survey of parent's use of music in the home with their child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for building the capacity of families(GAMUT - Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre (NORCE & University of Bergen), 2014)Preschool aged children with disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) typically receive early childhood intervention services that adopt a family-centred approach to supporting child and family outcomes. Family-centred approaches aim to build the capacity of parents to support their child’s development immediately and into the future, and therefore offer parents a variety of resources. One indication of whether these resources have been relevant and useful to the family is to consider how well they have been incorporated into everyday life. This study surveyed 11 families of children with ASD aged 3- 6 years who were receiving music therapy as part of a broader study, and asked them to keep a journal of their use of the music experiences modelled within the sessions during their typical week. It is the first study to ask parents of children with ASD to quantify the time spent in music experiences. Results showed that families can and do use music to engage with their child with ASD, with a total median time of 2.8 hours per week recorded. The total average time comprised four categories of music experiences, including singing, singing and playing instruments, improvising with instruments, and listening to music. Of these, singing and listening to music were the most popular (37% each of the total time) and were best maintained at follow up. These results provide preliminary support demonstrating that music therapy could be a successful way to support capacity building in families by encouraging them to embed therapeutic music experiences into their daily life. Further and more detailed research is needed to investigate this central tenet of family-centred practice, particularly in regards to how families’ use of music experiences change over time.
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ItemNo Preview Available"We've got a special connection": qualitative analysis of descriptions of change in the parent-child relationship by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2015-01-02)Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in the area of reciprocal social interactions with family and peers. Collaborating with the families of these children in therapy sessions is fast becoming best practice in many countries. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child. The interview questions focussed on changes to the nature of the parent–child relationship. Analysis of the interviews identified three aspects of positive change to the parent–child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents’ perception of the child and the parents’ response to the child. The changes in the relationship with their child were valued and cherished by all of the mothers, and understanding the impact a family-centred approach might have on the nature of the parent–child relationship needs further exploration.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableMusic in everyday life by parents with their children with autism(Taylor and Francis Group, 2016)Abstract of the 10th European Music Therapy Conference. Background: Music therapy has a long history in working with children with autism in both traditional settings and those which include working with the parents. Recent studies show that music therapy programs aimed at supporting parent–child interaction have resulted in significant gains in social communication skills of children with autism, and improved parental competency perception. However, little is known about the amount or type of musical play that parents engage in with their child with autism, or whether parents use music as a facilitator in certain daily situations. Objective: The Music in Everyday Life (MEL) assessment, developed by Gottfried and Thompson, was confirmed with evidences of validity to assess the use of music in everyday life by parents with their children with autism, and was used within a large multisite research project (TIME-A) in four countries. Discussion: This round table brings together four expert clinicians and researchers from four countries, who will present the research and clinical applications of the MEL assessment, focusing on Music-Oriented Counselling, Family-centred MT, MT-based DIR parent coaching, and using musical-play in parent counselling.
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ItemThe impact of blended learning on professional identity formation for post-graduate music therapy students(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2018)The expansion of technology use in higher education creates new opportunities to access music therapy training for people living in the vast country of Australia. The emergence of the blended learning (BL) study modality (an integration of online digital media and intensive face-to-face teaching) at the University of Melbourne offers the Master of Music Therapy course to students living in rural and interstate locations. While BL study has existed in healthcare training and education for several years, there is a scarcity of literature exploring the benefits and challenges of this mode of training for music therapy. This study aimed to identify and examine the impact of the BL program on professional identity formation of new music therapy graduates. A comparative study design exploring differences between the experiences of BL and traditional on-campus (OC) alumni was conducted. Forty-two music therapy graduates from the University of Melbourne completed a survey examining the impact of their study experiences on early professional identity formation. Survey results indicate no statistically significant differences between BL and OC graduates in the formation of early professional identity. Recommendations for researchers and educators are provided regarding areas of focus in professional identity formation in the BL mode for music therapy students.
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ItemWhose choice? Exploring multiple perspectives on music therapy access under the National Disability Insurance Scheme(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2018)The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new national funding system for people with disabilities in Australia, which has been tested in some trial sites since 2013 and is now instigated across the Nation. Whilst music therapy and other music services are included on the list of recognised providers, inclusion of these services within individual case plans has been questioned at times by those with authority within NDIS trial sites. This research project aimed to build a collaborative relationship between the University of Melbourne, Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to better understand the needs and capacity for contribution of each organisation involved in the access of people to music therapy. To this end, interviews were conducted with three NDIA employees, five Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) who had experiences providing music therapy services as NDIS providers, and one parent of an eight-year old participant in the scheme who had accessed music therapy. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to identify gaps in knowledge and awareness between the different stakeholders. Fourteen emergent themes and three final themes revealed different perspectives on the matter, but all agreed that it is a significant time to promote music therapy and educate the NDIS planners, allied health professionals, the participants of the scheme and their families. In plain language:This research study investigates how different stakeholders perceived access to music therapy under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the trial sites between 2013 and 2015. Nine people who had the lived experience of the matter such as NDIS planners, Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) and a parent of a boy with a disability were individually interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis reveals that everyone believed that music therapy was not fully understood or received well by everyone, and RMTs need to take more active roles in educating and promoting music therapy to staff in the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), allied health professionals, as well as parents of people with disabilities.
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Item"But I want to talk to you!" Perspectives on music therapy practice with highly verbal children on the autism spectrum(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2019-08-08)Introduction: This reflective paper offers a perspective on music therapy practice that explores how shared music experiences may provide opportunities for highly verbal children on the autism spectrum to expand their engagement in social play. Methods: Relevant literature from the fields of music therapy, child development, and the neurodiversity movement are discussed alongside the authors’ reflections on their work with children who bring verbal and gestural motifs into music therapy sessions. The case examples highlight moments where the music therapist transformed the child’s verbal and gestural material into interactive music-based games. Results: This paper proposes practice considerations for music therapists working with highly verbal children that centre around the therapist’s intention to support the child to interact with freedom and joy through musical play and foster relationships with others. These intersubjective moments within creative musical play experiences may create conditions for the child to explore different ways of being, interacting and communicating. Discussion: Musical games within the context of music therapy emphasise the relational value of a mutually created and shared world of meaning between the therapist and the child. The child’s verbal strengths are not simply acknowledged; they become the foundation for musical-play experiences that aim to expand their repertoire of social and relational experiences.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableMusic therapy teaming and learning: How transdisciplinary experience shapes practice in a specialist school for students with autism(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2019)Music therapists are often members of teams within multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary frameworks, and occasionally, also form discipline-specific teams. Whilst research literature on collaboration between music therapists and other professions is growing, there is a lack of understanding around the varied experiences of music therapists in transdisciplinary teams. It is vital that music therapists are aware of the challenges and benefits of collaborative practice to promote professional growth and develop practice alongside colleagues. This study is set at a transdisciplinary, specialist school for students with autism. To explore the lived experience of the music therapy team and the factors informing their practice, a qualitative, phenomenological approach was taken, with data collected through semi-structured interviews. Results revealed three professional issues for music therapists in transdisciplinary teams: 1) supporting students in non-music therapy programs, 2) building collaborative and trusting relationships with support staff, and 3) the benefits and challenges of working in both group and individual programs. Implications for transdisciplinary team leaders were: 1) the preferred styles of professional learning, 2) the importance of peer support in building resilience, and 3) the value of diversity and creativity in the collaborative team space. Viewing these themes through a systems theory lens revealed interactive, yearly practice cycles, highlighting the professional responsibilities of each group necessary to ensuring an innovative, collaborative and supportive team culture. The findings of this study begin to illuminate the experience of music therapy teaming and learning, and how music therapists may make positive contributions within a transdisciplinary school setting.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEffects of Improvisational Music Therapy vs Enhanced Standard Care on Symptom Severity Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder The TIME-A Randomized Clinical Trial(AMER MEDICAL ASSOC, 2017-08-08)IMPORTANCE: Music therapy may facilitate skills in areas affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as social interaction and communication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of improvisational music therapy on generalized social communication skills of children with ASD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial, conducted in 9 countries and enrolling children aged 4 to 7 years with ASD. Children were recruited from November 2011 to November 2015, with follow-up between January 2012 and November 2016. INTERVENTIONS: Enhanced standard care (n = 182) vs enhanced standard care plus improvisational music therapy (n = 182), allocated in a 1:1 ratio. Enhanced standard care consisted of usual care as locally available plus parent counseling to discuss parents' concerns and provide information about ASD. In improvisational music therapy, trained music therapists sang or played music with each child, attuned and adapted to the child's focus of attention, to help children develop affect sharing and joint attention. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was symptom severity over 5 months, based on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), social affect domain (range, 0-27; higher scores indicate greater severity; minimal clinically important difference, 1). Prespecified secondary outcomes included parent-rated social responsiveness. All outcomes were also assessed at 2 and 12 months. RESULTS: Among 364 participants randomized (mean age, 5.4 years; 83% boys), 314 (86%) completed the primary end point and 290 (80%) completed the last end point. Over 5 months, participants assigned to music therapy received a median of 19 music therapy, 3 parent counseling, and 36 other therapy sessions, compared with 3 parent counseling and 45 other therapy sessions for those assigned to enhanced standard care. From baseline to 5 months, mean ADOS social affect scores estimated by linear mixed-effects models decreased from 14.08 to 13.23 in the music therapy group and from 13.49 to 12.58 in the standard care group (mean difference, 0.06 [95% CI, -0.70 to 0.81]; P = .88), with no significant difference in improvement. Of 20 exploratory secondary outcomes, 17 showed no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among children with autism spectrum disorder, improvisational music therapy, compared with enhanced standard care, resulted in no significant difference in symptom severity based on the ADOS social affect domain over 5 months. These findings do not support the use of improvisational music therapy for symptom reduction in children with autism spectrum disorder. TRIAL REGISTRATION: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN78923965.
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ItemNo Preview Available[book review]. Polen, D. W., Shultis, C. L., & Wheeler, B. L. (2017). Clinical training guide for the student music therapist (2nd ed.)(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2018)Training music therapy students is a complex task that is approached differently around the world. The music therapy profession is broad in its application, with qualified music therapists working in diverse contexts with diverse populations to meet diverse needs. Different countries emphasise different skills in their training programs and offer either undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. Clinical training is at the heart of music therapy degree courses. Placements (also knowns as practicums or internships) offer students the opportunity to gain experience with real people, and therefore students are required to put theory into practice and apply their academic knowledge. In this sense, what happens on placements integrates all aspects of course work and professional knowledge. The second edition of “Clinical Training Guide for the Student Music Therapist” could be seen as a compendium for students on placement. Within each chapter, there is an emphasis on professional competencies and developing skills in various aspects of music therapy program development; from planning, assessment and goal writing, to implementing music therapy techniques. At the end of each chapter, there are learning tasks to help scaffold student learning and support them to engage in personal reflection...