Resources & references

Read an article exploring the effectiveness of co-treatment between music therapists and physical therapists on motor skills in individuals with late stage Huntington's disease. Results highlight the benefits of this collaboration, while also discussing the key components of a successful collaboration between these two professionals.

Click here to read a plain-language summary of the article.

Read about facilitators and barriers to the development and integration of an inpatient music therapy program for neurorehabilitation, from the perspective of patients, family members, and various health care professionals.

Read about an interprofessional (occupational therapy and music therapy) keyboarding intervention program for visually impaired preschoolers. Results demonstrated an improvement in fine motor skills following 6 weeks of 20-minute biweekly sessions.

Watch music therapist Winnie Choy lead a drumming activity with her client to build finger strength and coordination, learning to take turns, listen and share, and practice communicating in her home language, Cantonese.

Read a Cochrane review on the use of music interventions for acquired brain injury. Results indicate positive effects in motor and communication/speech rehabilitation, as well as on quality of life, and that interventions lead by a qualified music therapist were more effective.

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.

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.

Listen to music therapist Savannah Zimlich explain how she uses music therapy with individuals with multiple disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities. She equally discusses how interdisciplinary collaboration assists these individuals in reaching their full potential. 

Music therapy allows children with visual impairment to reach their goals and develop their motor, cognitive and communications skills. Children who are part of the group explain why they enjoy music therapy. 

Read a scoping review on musical interaction in young people with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Findings highlight six categories of promising components of musical interaction and suggest that musical activities, including music therapy, have positive benefits in a number of domains for this population.

This literature review examines the impact of music therapy in improving physiological, psychological, cognitive and emotional functioning among patients with physical, neurological, and developmental disabilities.

Read an article detailing a study on interprofessional collaboration between music therapists and physiotherapists in therapy targeting movement for individuals with late-stage Huntington's Disease. The study found better results when both therapists worked together, compared to physiotherapists working independently, and that simpler rhythmic cues were more effective than more complex melodic cues.

Click here to read the original article.