What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is the application of music in order to improve a person’s health and emotional wellbeing. In recent years, music therapy has become a popular form of treatment for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Music therapy has shown to be particularly effective in treating various types of health conditions that tend to coincide with some intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and many more. Some comorbid conditions include major depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Why Music Therapy?

Music therapy is an emerging field in the treatment of conditions can come along with some intellectual and developmental disabilities. It has been proven to have a positive effect on physical, emotional and intellectual development. It has also been found as an effective tool for managing stress, anxiety and pain.

It also helps children and adults with special needs to  develop communication skills and motivation for learning new tasks. As well as this, music therapy has been shown to improve speech, language, mood and social interaction in adults with special needs.

Music Therapy for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 

The benefits of music therapy are wide-ranging including improved communication and social skills, increased self-confidence and motivation for learning new tasks. Music therapists use music to help people with autism, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or other conditions to learn, relax, focus, and gain confidence in themselves.

One study found that individuals with an intellectual or developmental disabilities who had musical interventions were more likely to have more improvements in mood disorders than non-musical therapies. Another interesting study found that children who underwent music therapy were more willing to try new foods than those who didn't receive this type of treatment.

Music therapy has also been shown to improve motor coordination while reducing repetitive behavior loops. All of these benefits make music therapy a powerful tool for adults with special needs who suffer from anxiety or depression, as well as those whose cognition is impaired due to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Adults with special needs who have had music therapy have shown improvement in task initiation as well as increased verbalization abilities. Some also experience less anxiety when faced with certain tasks due to an increase in self confidence that comes from exploring musical sensations on one’s own terms.

Music Therapy enables adults with special needs to be more independent as it promotes their independence, confidence, creativity and decision making abilities. It also helps them learn how to express themselves through the medium of music which broadens range of interaction and connection. Language comprehension develops faster with music therapy too. 

Music therapy is among the alternative types of therapy that you can explore to assist with a whole range of conditions. While not all studies on alternative therapies are inclusive, they are certainly on their way to discovering the bigger picture.