"Music Therapy Glimpses" - Music Therapy with Traumatic Brain Injury

I hesitated to include a longer video here, but this one is easy to watch because of the progression it shows of one client's progress in music therapy.  This client suffered a traumatic brain injury.  You can see how music therapy is being implemented to work on 1) speech/language, 2) motor coordination, 3) fine motor strength, 4) coordinating left hemisphere and right hemisphere tasks, 5) quality of movement, 6) balance, and overall regaining lost skills. 



Jessica

"Music Therapy Glimpses" - Music Therapy and Cancer Diagnosis

Jessica

"Music Therapy Glimpses" - Counting by 5s

Here's a great clip I found of a portion of a music therapy session.  You can see, clearly, the goal here was to work on teaching/supporting cognitive skill (counting by 5s).  This activity would benefit in other areas as well such as 1) auditory processing/following auditory cues, 2) impulse control/waiting for auditory prompt, 3) speech/language (development, clarity, and fluency), and 4) visual attention and attention span.

Thank you to the music therapist who posted this!
Jessica

"Music Therapy Glimpses" - ODETTA at the Music Has Power™ Awards

WOW! In a recent music therapy search on youtube, I found some amazing accounts of music therapy in action.  Of course, there are the impostors, too, but I enjoyed just soaking all the good stuff in! There are a good many more samplings of MT on youtube than the last time I searched. 

I have decided to showcase some of the good ones here on my blog.  I will dedicate this week to "Music Therapy Glimpses".  Check back each day for daily videos!

I want to open with a video clip of the great ODETTA as she presents at the "Music Has Power™ Awards".  I will follow up each day with video clips of actual music therapy clips/music therapy songs in sessions/session clips/etc.




Jessica

Music Therapy slideshow (for SCEAPA presentation)

For those of you who attended the SCEAPA meeting in Columbia this past Wednesday, here is the slideshow from my PowerPoint presentation on "Music Therapy for Children with Autism".  Thank you all, again, for allowing me to present.  Thank you, also, for your interest in the field as well as the warm welcome you gave me!

Jessica

Carefree Boat Club of Chas ... caring for the caregiver (free service)

Carefree Cares is the community outreach of the Carefree Boat Club of Charleston to people managing the care of family members with disabilities, special needs, or terminal illness. It's about giving time back to caregivers.
Carefree Cares offers restoration of spirit through recreational boating events. These sponsored events are ½ day, on the water charters themed to specific caregiver needs. Best of all, there is no cost to the caregiver.
•Women’s Day Out - Relax and revive while enjoying beautiful Charleston Harbor by boat with lunch on the water
•Women’s Retreat - Partnering with Healing Farm Ministries and The Heart of the Caregiver, these events are timed to conclude a day of healing and fellowship
•Men’s Fishing – Enjoy a morning of fishing the Low Country with other men who are caregivers
•Harbor breeze Sailing day – Experience the peace of sailing the Charleston harbor in our 27ft sailboat with our experienced sail captain.
•A resource for caregivers to services from our business partners.

You can help a Caregiver

•Sponsor an individual caregiver to attend any of our events by donating now.
•Businesses can sponsor the entire event.

•Business Owners can partner with Carefree Cares to offer services for the caregivers. Just give us a call and we'll set up all the details.
for more info : http://carefreecares.bbnow.org/index.php


Happy sailing,
Jessica

Springtime Thoughts

Hello Everyone ... 

I hope you are enjoying your Spring so far! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here in Charleston ... the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining.  Springtime also happens to be one of my busiest times of the year.  Please be patient with me, and in my blogging absence.  I will be back soon! I have so much to share with you, but little time to do so lately.  We'll catch up very soon!

One thought to leave with you today, though.  Spring represents rebirth, newness, and open doors.  Remember, though, that often times, in order to have newness, you have to release some of the old things first.  Sometimes you have that waiting period in the cocoon first.  And the thing with doors is that sometimes a door has to close before another can open.  What do you need a fresh start on right now? It may be old thought patterns and habits that we need to release before we can adopt new, healthier ones.  It may be an old position/job that you have left (or has left you).  It may be a phase of life that is nearing an end. 

Whatever your scenario, remember the butterfly and it's cocoon.  Remember the plants that die off (or seem to) in the winter, but grow new in the Spring.

Jessica

"Model Me Kids" - a great Social Skills resource

I was on Autism Hangout (http://www.autismhangout.com/ ) the other day, and saw mention of a wonderful social skills resource called "Model Me Kids" (click on link to go to site).  Model Me Kids teaches social skills concepts through DVDs/videos, which provides visual cues through modeling specific social skill and related behaviors. 

Many of these include accompanying storyboards as well.  Also, I was pleased to see that the videos are modeled in real life scenarios AND they are very concrete, providing very clear step by step examples. 

I would love to add Model Me Kids to my own collection of resources as I know they would be extremely beneficial in and out of therapy!

As mentioned, I was really excited about this resource, however, I did want to see a sample before making a decision to purchase.  The website provides several samples, and after viewing these, I was even more impressed.  For video samples of some of the DVDs offered, visit this link : http://modelmekids.com/autism-video-samples.html

Another great feature is that these are also categorized according to age appropriateness (and age range of person using the resource).

This one is going on my wish list! I'd love feedback of anyone who has used this resource.

Jessica 

Music Therapy and Autism webinar

"Where Words Fail, Music Speaks"

Hello everyone! I wanted to share with you something that I am pretty excited about.  You've heard me mention Autism Hangout before in past postings.  Autism Hangout is a website created to provide support and resources for those in the autism community. 

Craig Evans, a fellow musician and host to the Autism Hangout site, invited me to speak (via webinar) on Music Therapy and Autism.  We did the webinar interview this morning, and he already has it posted on the site.  The heading/title of the webinar is "Where Words Fail, Music Speaks".

It is a 10 minute webinar that touches on some introductory points about Music Therapy as it relates to ASD treatment.  Craig and I have discussed plans for expansion of this, and look forward to creating a series of webinars under Music Therapy and Autism.  These future webinars will give a little more in depth look at the use of music therapy techniques to support specific needs of a person on the spectrum (i.e. speech, development, supporting cognitive skill/concepts, sensory input/integration, social skill development, etc).

Thank you, Craig, for Autism Hangout as it is a wonderful resource, and thank you for allowing me to contribute!

Visit http://www.autismhangout.com/default.asp to view the video, along with some other great resources.

Jessica

Down Syndrome - Supporting speech/launguage development at home

Down Syndrome

What can parents do to help infants and young children learn speech and language?

• Parents are the primary communicators interacting with their babies and young children; thus, parents can do a great deal to help their children learn to communicate. Many of the pre-speech and pre-language skills are best learned in the home environment.
• Remember that language is more than spoken words. When you are teaching a word or a concept, focus on conveying meaning to the child through play or through multisensory experiences (hearing, touch, seeing).
• Provide many models. Most children with Down syndrome need many repetitions and experiences to learn a word. Repeat what your child says, and give him a model to help him learn words.
• Use real objects and real situations. When you are teaching a concept, use daily activities and real situations as much as possible. Teach the names of foods as your toddler is eating, names of body parts while you are bathing your child, and concepts such as under, in and on while your child is playing. Communication is part of daily life.
• Read to your child. Help your child learn concepts through reading about them, field trips in the neighborhood and daily experiences.
• Follow your child's lead. If your child shows interest in an object, person or event, provide him or her with the word for that concept. There are many milestones as the child progresses toward using speech. The child responds to a familiar voice, recognizes familiar faces, experiments with many different sounds, produces strings of sounds over and over and makes a sound to mean you (dada, mama). Many children enjoy looking in a mirror, and increase their sound play and babbling when vocalizing in mirrors. Effective ways to work on these skills at home can be learned through early intervention sessions, through books, workshops and speech and language professionals. For more information, see:

Kumin, L. (2003). Early communication skills for children with Down syndrome: Guide for parents and teachers. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Funny Music

BOTTLE BAND





Here's a quirky little rendition of Peacherine Rag, performed by a bottle band.  You can make music with anything ;)



Jessica