Resources & references

This systematic review indicates that music interventions compared to standard care may have beneficial effects on anxiety, depression, hope, pain, and fatigue in adults with cancer. The results of two trials suggest that music interventions may have a beneficial effect on anxiety in children with cancer. For several outcomes, music therapy interventions delivered by a trained music therapist led to consistent results across studies. The abstract is available in many languages. 

This book, written by music therapist Guylaine Vaillancourt, is divided in two parts. This book is intended to make parents, educators and care-givers aware of how music and music therapy can benefit children. It also explains how the purposeful use of music by music therapy professionals can restore, maintain or enhance physical and psychological well-being of children. 
 

This research study interviews experienced music therapists of diverse cultural backgrounds. The results provide recommendations on how to build safety in the therapeutic relationship among children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.

Heather Overly, a board-certified music therapist, discusses how music therapy can support children with  developmental disabilities. Through live session examples and interviews, she demonstrates how group music therapy can meet therapeutic goals such as self-expression, academic skills, and social skills.

Watch a video on the use of music therapy for autistic children featuring music therapists Blythe LaGasse, Jody Wilfong, and Erica Lyles. Both parent and music therapist testimonials are included.

Click here to watch part 1 of the documentary.

Watch music therapist Karen Hook describe how she uses music therapy with autistic children and children with learning disabilities. 

Click here to watch part 2 of the documentary.

Read a literature review exploring childhood cerebral visual impairment (CVI) and the ways that music therapy can be used to approach CVI-related goals.

This book highlights how music and music therapy can benefit children, showing how music therapists use music to support their physical and psychological well-being.

Review of current research supporting the use of music therapy and music-based interventions in pediatric neurorehabilitation. Results demonstrated measurable benefits of music therapy in multidisciplinary teams in three principle domains: gait rehabilitation, upper limb function, and speech recovery.

Learn more about what visual impairments are, and how they affect American children. Practice guidelines for music therapists working with blind/visually impaired children are also discussed.

This video shows examples of music therapy sessions and perspectives from music therapists and the Children's Hospital in Boston.

Board Certified music therapy program at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Funded by Children's Miracle Network - Herskey. By manipulating the elements of a song, music therapists help control a patient's pain and anxiety, ease adjustment to the hospital setting and promote rehabilitation.