Music Therapy in Special Education (6 credits)

Presented by Joel Kroeker RCC, MA, MMT, MTA

Working in special education means there is rarely a one-size-fits-all intervention.

One student may be working on communication. Another may need support with emotional regulation or social interaction. Others may have cognitive, motor, sensory, learning, behavioral, or developmental needs that require you to continually adapt how you use music.

In this practical course with Joel Kroeker, you’ll explore music therapy interventions for special education settings and learn how to adapt them to the individual strengths, needs, and goals of the students you serve.

Through research, case material, clinical examples, and practical application, you’ll examine approaches for working with students with a range of learning and communication disabilities, emotional and behavioral challenges, and physical or developmental disabilities.

Rather than simply collecting activities, you’ll explore the clinical thinking behind the intervention, including how to identify appropriate goals and objectives and intentionally use music to address cognitive, motor, emotional, developmental, communication, and social domains.

You’ll also examine different theories and models of music therapy and consider how they can inform your work in educational and clinical settings.

The goal is to help you leave with both new intervention ideas and a stronger framework for creating and adapting music therapy experiences to fit the individual students and settings in which you work.

In this workshop, you will learn:

Practical music therapy interventions that can be adapted for special education settings.
How to select and modify musical experiences based on an individual student’s strengths, needs, and goals.
Approaches for supporting students with learning and communication disabilities.
Music therapy strategies for addressing emotional, behavioral, physical, and developmental needs.
How music therapy can address cognitive, motor, emotional, developmental, communication, and social domains.
How to develop purposeful goals and objectives that guide your music therapy interventions.
How different music therapy theories and models can inform your work with students receiving special education services.
How to move beyond using pre-designed activities and create interventions tailored to your own students and setting.

You’ll leave with more than new activities. You’ll have a stronger framework for deciding what to use, why you’re using it, and how to adapt it for the student in front of you.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to create at least 1 intervention for a Special Education setting
Participants will be able to describe how music therapy fits within a given educational setting
Participants will be able to identify at least 2 relevant goals and objectives within a specific educational context
Participants will be able to match at least 2 music therapy goals with current educational goals

Schedule

Introduction

1 hour Background, Theory and History of Music Therapy in Special Education

We’ll discover where Special Education is situated historically and theoretically in relation to music therapy and the therapeutic models that you are most familiar with.

1 hour- Overview of Music Therapy Tools and Resources in Special Education

Through clinical examples, extended instrumental techniques and discussion we’ll explore the most essential principles and how you can immediately incorporate these into your own work.

1 hour- Special Education interventions that work!

We’ll discover step-by-step how to work with specific therapeutic goals and objectives throughperforming, composing, improvising and listening in relation to a wide range of situations including individuals, groupwork, non-verbal communication and directive vs. non-directive approaches.

1 hour- How to match educational goals with therapeutic needs

We’ll learn how to work effectively within the scope of Individualized Education Plan programming while still harnessing the inherent inspiration and exuberance of the learners and achieving essential therapeutic goals.

30 minutes: Q&A and Wrap up

Evaluate by feedback form

1 hr Assignment

CBMT Domain Areas:

"II.D.1 Collaboration with the client and/or family/care partner and other professionals for treatment planning (e.g., goals, treatment preferences);

II.D2 Individualized treatment planning using evidence-based practices (e.g., professional expertise, research evidence, client preferences);

II.D.3 Service delivery model and schedule (e.g., imminent needs, length of service, travel distance, telehealth);

II.D.4 Identification of treatment progress and outcomes (e.g., short-term measurable objectives, long-term goals);

II.D.5 Cultural responsiveness and humility in treatment planning; II.D.6 Properties of musical instruments (e.g., acoustics, materials, sizes) ;

II.D.7 Goal-directed music and non-music experience/intervention design;

II.D.8 Accessibility adaptations to treatment (e.g., music selection, instruments, equipment, positioning, communication devices, technology);

II.D.9 External factors that may impact treatment planning (e.g., trauma, medication use, community involvement)"

III.A.1 Therapeutic pacing, sequencing, transitions, and intensity;

III.A.2 Task analysis and goal-directed session planning (e.g., time management, instrument selection);

III.A.3 Treatment modification within and across sessions based on the client's response and growth (e.g., alternate applications of music, appropriate music selection, adaptation of the physical/virtual session space);

III.A.4 Collaboration with other professionals to promote accessibility and support client progress (e.g., therapist, social worker, educator);

III.A.5 Transference and counter-transference in treatment;

III.A.6 Theoretical frameworks for music therapy treatment implementation (e.g., educational, developmental, neurological, psychological);

III.A.7 Music therapy methods used to support therapeutic outcomes (e.g., improvising, recreating, composing, listening, moving);

III.A.8 Music theory (e.g., composition, harmony, transposition) ;

III.A.9 Instrument and voice proficiency;

III.A.10 Clinical adaptation of musicianship to address therapeutic needs;

III.A.11 Effects of music elements and music experience (e.g., psychological, emotional, physical)

Music Therapy in Special Education is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 6 CMTEs-Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. . The Spiegel Academy, CBMT Approved Provider #P-106, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria

Class Description