Music Therapy
The Academy of Music educational programme for students with Special Needs
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and musical interventions in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health and well-being.
Music Therapy (MT) is an effective intervention when working with children with autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, and many more.
l Music Therapy can help to stimulate development of communication/social interaction/imaginative play – the ‘triad of impairments’ in children with autism.
l Music Therapy is particularly useful in sensory integration, providing tactile, visual and auditory stimulation when the child participates in the instrumental playing. Simultaneously, it provides a nonverbal way for the child to express him or herself.
l Music therapy is good for speech development and language comprehension as songs can be used to facilitate speech and language functioning.
l Music Therapy can alleviate the negative behaviours and emotions when the child is involved in an interactive music-making with the Music Therapist.
The support offered by the Music Therapist is predominantly on a one-to-one basis or on a mini group setting. The therapist responds to movements / vocal sounds/ instrumental playing led by the child, incorporating them into a musical context: by developing a relationship through spontaneous music making, the child can explore new ways of relating, leading to development and change.
About The Academy Music Therapist:
Qiaoyi Li is a qualified Music Therapist (MA with honours in Music Therapy, University of Limerick) and Music Teacher (MA in Musicology, Beijing Normal University, China). She is a Music Therapist with a full membership to The Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists. Her previous work experience were focused on elderly with Alzheimer Disease and relevant diagnosis, children with Autistic Spectrum Syndrome and severe/profound learning disorders, and adults with mental disorders.