The Significance of the Process of Music Therapy for Children with Multiple Social and Communication Disabilities

Case Studies

Authors

  • Sara Marta Knapik-Szweda University of Silesia, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, Department of Children’s Creativity and Expression in Pedagogy, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v19i1.2732

Keywords:

music therapy, multiple disability, qualitative research, the Individualized Music Therapy Assessment Profile

Abstract

Music therapy is an interdisciplinary branch of science and a form of therapy which enables establishing contact with every human being by means of an aesthetic sound message. The aim of this paper is to present the influence of music therapy procedures on communicative and social areas of the development of children with multiple disabilities, namely two boys. Moreover, the research activity is also concentrated on the ways music influences particular cases, namely which chosen music therapy strategies. The article presents individualizing research in a qualitative dimension. The outline of the research project is presented with its problem matters, research objectives, methods (of individual case study), and research techniques, as well as a detailed description of the research tool - The Individualized Music Therapy Assessment Profile (IMTAP) recommended by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). The results presented in a detailed description and observation schedule as well as data collected from interviews demonstrates and, at the same time, answers the research question that music therapy is a useful and effective form of therapy in the case of two boys with multiple disabilitities – to improve social and communicative functioning of the their development.

Author Biography

Sara Marta Knapik-Szweda, University of Silesia, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, Department of Children’s Creativity and Expression in Pedagogy, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice

Sara Knapik-Szweda, PhD, MT-BC is connected with the University of Silesia where she received her PhD degree for her dissertation on the application of music therapy in a developmental approach to children with autism spectrum disorder. She works with children, teenagers, and adults with physical, neurological, and intellectual handicaps in her own music therapy center – MUZKA. She also co-operates as a lecturer with Music Therapy Department at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. She conducts music therapy with premature infants and their families in a hospital in Silesian District within the research project LongStep. Her research interests involve humanistic approach, relations that occur during the music therapy process among the participants.  She has conducted numerous music therapy workshops for other specialists and parents.

Settings Sara Marta Knapik-Szweda

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Published

2019-02-11

How to Cite

Knapik-Szweda, S. M. (2019). The Significance of the Process of Music Therapy for Children with Multiple Social and Communication Disabilities: Case Studies. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v19i1.2732

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2019)

Section

Research

License

Copyright (c) 2019 Sara Marta Knapik-Szweda

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