Music Therapy for Learning Disabilities
... and educators. Music therapy involvement can stimulate attention and increase motivation to participate more fully in other aspects of the educational setting. (American Music Therapy Association) Adults and children with learning disabilities often do not poses the skills or the ability needed to communicate or learn properly. The lack of communication between a student and teacher or therapist is difficult, when trying to teach a new skill like reading or speaking. Music can be introduced in ways the student is more adapt to comprehend. Through song or musical accompaniment, something as simple as learning the alphabet, can become more understandable to a student with learning disabilities. Connecting song, language, and movement dramatically increases learning. (Special Child) Music Therapists typically use music activities to foster the development of motor, communication, cognitive, and social abilities in children with special needs. (American Music Therapy Association) For example, a music therapist may create a song with a learning-disabled student who has difficulty remembering the correct sequence for getting dressed in the morning. By putting a melody with a specific sequence, the student may sing the song in order to know what to put on next. (Patterson) Similar to this, a song used to remember state capitals has been used by even students without learning disabilities. Music and multi-sensory experiences can improve the ability to retain information, such as looking at pictures of animals while singing about the farm. (Davis) When interaction with others or socializing is a difficulty for a learning-disabled student, an activity such as passing a ball around a circle to music, similar to musical chairs, can be affective. Another activity using musical sticks or a triangle can be used “to increase the ability to share materials and equipment with others.” (Farlow) Speaking and speech ability can be absent for students with learning disabilities. Simple question/answer phrases may prove difficult for one reason or another. A student ...