Music Therapy for CALS/FALS

1. Music Therapy for CALS/FALS Gabby Ritter-Cantesanu, MMT, MT-BC

2. How does Music Therapy work? • Music is powerful and nonthreatening • Multi modal to stimulate all senses • Encourages joy of play that increases participation • Music is highly motivating • Can encourage socialization, self-expression, attention, communication, and motor development • Can stimulate cognitive functioning and assist with remediation of speech skills as music is processed on both hemispheres of brain

3. How does Music Therapy work? • Inherent order of music maintains structure • Makes learning more “fun” than work • Rhythms organize our brains. • Engages multiple areas of brain functioning • Increases attention to task • Vocal use and rhythms can regain focus in a de-railed group situation

4. How does Music Therapy work? • Provides a mnemonicdevice • Music as a reinforcer increases non-music behaviors • Music Listening as a relaxation tool • Reading/Singing books to increase rhythmical language of the text and increase retention • Organizing the brain and maintaining structure • A strong therapeutic relationship promotes wellness

5. Music and the Brain • Simple music listening (provided by an MT) shifts frontal asymmetries. Meaning there is more left/right equalization after listening. • Important because in cases of brain damage/brain malfunctioning, skills can be taught across the brain rather than right/left hemisphere. • A healing brain heals more quickly with auditory stimuli. • Processing of musical pulse activates motor areas in the brain, supporting the idea that music and movement are closely intertwined. Ala-Ruona E. et. al., 2008.

6. Music and the Brain • Limbic areas of the brain, known to be associated with emotions, were found to be involved in rhythm and tonality processing. • When humans are involved in music as a social activity (i.e. “sing-alongs” and duets and such), there is increased blood flow to the areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure vs. when one is merely listening to music (not as much blood flow to those areas). • Music affects the entire brain, activating areas all over the brain.

7. Musical Development in Children • While a child develops, their musicality develops concurrently. • While we learn to walk and talk, we learn to dance and sing. • We use music throughout our lives to celebrate and remember important moments.

8. New Research out of Finland • Babies Are Born To Boogie (MSNBC News) • Researchers took a group of babies and played several types of music for them • The researchers and trained ballet dancers analyzed the movements to music • They found that babies are born knowing how to dance • The dancing was not always perfect • Once they found the beat, they smiled more. 

9. Strategies You Can Incorporate • Get ready to sing and play instruments!

10. Gross Motor • Gross motor: • Songs for steady gate or music assisted gait • Songs for tossing/catching balls • Songs for specific physical positions • Music with strong downbeat for marching • Music with directions in lyrics. Hokey Pokey! • Moving arms/legs to touch instruments • Act out stories or songs physically (like with puppets)

11. Songs You Can Buy • Greg and Steve: • Can’t Sit Still • The Freeze • The Body Rock • Listen and Move • Jim Gill: • Shakin’ Everywhere • Toe Leg Knee • Hap Palmer: • Country Stop and Start

12. Fine Motor Skills • Fine motor: • Use instruments with mallets • Songs to cross midline • Songs to assist in holding writing utensils • Songs to assist cutting • Songs to assist picking up small objects • Songs to encourage coloring/cutting/etc. that turn the task into a stop and go game or fast and slow game

13. Psychological • Relaxation music for difficult times • Keep it soft enough that you have to be quiet to hear it. • Songs that are generally uppers or downers • Think of music that brings you up or down. Cardio workout music compared to slow dance music. • Songs to help regulate and self regulate • Preemptive learning : social stories set to music/song: • When I am calm my hands are in my lap, my voice is quiet and I breath slowly. • In the moment regulation: • Sometimes sing, sometimes don’t. You know your kids.

14. Sensory Skills • Instruments of different timbres (sounds), shapes, textures, etc. • Songs used while brushing, giving deep pressure, etc. • Songs used with equipment • Therapy ball • Trampoline • Mats • Songs that involved using the body in different ways for movement breaks: • Stomping, Clapping, Jumping, Spinning, etc. • Clapping Land (on Youtube: Mister Whiskers)

15. Cognitive Skills • Academics • Math skills: Songs for colors, shapes, counting, creating/identifying sets, patterns • Reading skills: Songs for identifying letters, identifying letter sounds, sight words, comprehension, sung stories • Personal information: Songs for remembering address, phone number, name • Pneumonic device: ABC song

16. Songs You can Buy • Greg and Steve • ABC Rock • Number Rock • Months of the Year • Days of the Week • Jim Gill • Jumping and Counting • Color Game • Barbara Milne • Apple Apple AAA

17. Behavior • Impulse control • Playing instruments or singing on cue. • Stop, Wait and Go songs (physically or musically) • Stretching out the time they have to wait until they can play or move again • Following directions • Sung directions and Rules songs • Songs for stand up, sit down, wash your hands • Rules songs/chants • Transitions • Check your schedule • Location specific songs

18. Social Skills • Hey there’s another person in this room • Making music together as a group, copying each other’s music/style of playing/way of playing • Greetings • Hello songs and Goodbye songs, gradually fading music if needed • Turn taking • Only give out one instrument and everyone has to take turns playing it during their turn • Everyone has instruments, waiting for their turn to play

19. Receptive Communication • Songs to assist with directions • Put on/under/beside/next to/etc. • Attention grabbing sounds/songs to use before giving a directive • Songs for listening/social stories set to song • Music allows for natural repetition of directions

20. Expressive Communication • Making song or instrument choices • Using visuals paired with songs/choices • Leaving blanks in songs to be filled by the student • Echo songs • Sing alongs

21. Speech and Language Skills • Increase vocabulary • Increase vocalizations • Increase audibility • Increase auditory discrimination • Articulation • Intonation • Singing Sounds by Cathy Bolinger • Marvelous Mouth Music • Talking Tunes

22. Resources: • YouTube! If you’re in a home with internet access, use it! YouTube has over 500,000 children’s music videos on their site. Type “children’s music” into the search. • West Music- www.westmusic.com or 1-800-397-9378. Suggested items: Bollinger CD’s, Hartman CD’s, Music for Relaxation, Classroom Links. They have an MT-BC and education consultants on staff to assist you. • www.SongsforTeaching.comor 1-800-649-5514 • Utilize Google….there are very few things you can’t find on the internet!

23. Resources http://www.songsforteaching.com/speechtherapy/ www.talkingtunes.net www.childrenspublishing.com www.tunedintolearning.org www.precisionsongs.com www.expresstrain.org www.musictherapyconnections.org www.westmusic.com http://www.youtube.com/user/HarryKindergarten

24. When to Contact Us • See Pre-Assessment Guidelines • Is the child making progress with current related services, accommodations, modifications in place? • When music is used in class, does the student respond more appropriately? (Increased attention, more willingness to work, more appropriate behavior, etc.) • Music increases their communication/language skills • Music increases their social skills

25. What Will Happen • Informal Observation • Permission to assess is NOT needed • An MT will come out and observe and speak with you • If the MT feels an assessment is warranted, the MT will request a permission to assess • Assessment • Student will be observed working on IEP skills in class • Student will then be pulled for an assessment session • Therapist will compare data to determine service

26. Questions???? • If you think of something later, please feel free to e-mail me: nrittercantesanu@bcps.org

27. Steps to finding us: • Go to: www.bcps.org • Click “Our System” • Click “Offices” • Click “Special Education” • Click “Related Services” • Click “Music Therapy” • Email us: • Western side: Gabby nrittercantesan@bcps.org • Eastern side: Kari kroy2@bcps.org