What is Early Childhood Intervention?
Early childhood intervention aims to provide children from ages 0 to 6 with developmental delays with access to services and support to have the best possible start to life.
Research has shown that receiving support as early as possible significantly improves developmental and learning outcomes as children already naturally learn so much in their early years.
These outcomes enable children to participate in school, build friendships, and access recreational opportunities in the future.
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is an interactive, strengths based, and creative therapy approach that is evidence based, and supports the development of valuable skills in early childhood.
Our Registered Music Therapists design individual and specific programs to work with your child on their needs whilst also highlighting the areas they excel in.
Our Music Beat Therapy Services team is dedicated to supporting children of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds in reaching their full potential.
Decades of clinical research has demonstrated the efficacy of music therapy in early childhood intervention in:
- building developmental skills
- improving self-regulation
- meeting age appropriate milestones
- instilling lifelong skills through music
What are the outcomes of Music Therapy?
As music therapists, we use music as our main intervention tool.
Music is a multi-faceted tool and research has shown that it targets many parts of the brain at once, which means we can use it to support a range of developmental outcomes including:
Language development
- through structured and repetitive phrasing which help children learn speech sounds, vocabulary, sentence structure, and turn-taking skills
Cognitive development
- using processes such as memory, attention, and problem solving in a creative and social environment
Motor skills:
- playing instruments that engage fine and gross motor tasks through the motivating medium of music
Sensory stimulation:
- providing a rich sensory experience through hearing, touch, and body awareness
Creativity and self-expression:
- encouraging children to explore and express themselves in their own capacity
Why music therapy?
To be human is to be musical.
That is to say all humans have the capacity to experience music.
Human brains love the organisation of music and the central nervous system loves the predictability that music provides.
Music therapy taps into this neurology of music and the unique ways that our human brains and bodies respond to music listening and music making to offer interventions that improve our overall wellbeing and functional capacities.
Music is a whole-brain activity and one that most children enjoy. This means there are many benefits to participating in music therapy sessions.
Music therapy allows a child to work from a strengths based model, as everyone can participate and experience music in their own way and at their own pace.
It also means that children can make music with us in ways that are adapted to suit their individual needs and abilities, and ways that tap into their strengths and abilities.
When a child feels confident in their abilities they are more likely to accept challenges and this allows our staff to encourage children to participate in complex musical activities that focus on the whole child.
In other words, the children can meet a number of developmental needs at the same time rather than separating these into “clinical” areas.
How can I access music therapy for early childhood intervention?
Music therapists offer early intervention services in education, paediatric and private practice settings. Many families access music therapy through private practice settings.
What is Music Beat Therapy Private Practice all about?
Music Beat Therapy Services is a private practice that specialises in providing music therapy sessions to people of all ages. This includes music therapy for early childhood Intervention.
Our team has a combined clinical experience of 84 years! All of our staff are registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association, and our business is a registered NDIS provider.
Music Beat Australia was founded by Dr Vicky Abad, a world renowned early childhood music therapist and music early learning facilitator.
She has presented, written, and lectured internationally, and continues to provide clinical services in our team, along with our dedicated and passionate music therapy team.
What is your approach at Music Beat Therapy Services?
At Music Beat Australia, we take a client-centred approach to music therapy, and our sessions are designed to be engaging and interactive to provide your child with opportunities for growth and learning in a supportive and nurturing environment.
We collaborate with you, caregivers, and other professionals in your child’s team to provide comprehensive and integrated support that addresses all aspects of your child’s development.
What should I expect at Music Beat Therapy Services?
If you enquire about music therapy, or want to come to us for music therapy, we will begin by getting you to fill out an enquiry form.
Our Practice Manager will then be in touch with you to organise an initial assessment with a suitable therapist in accordance to the time frame you have selected.
We will ask you for some information to best match you with a therapist and to complete an intake form.
We will then set up a service agreement that will cover a period of time that allows both your child and our team time to get to know each other and complete a comprehensive assessment that accurately assesses your child’s skills and capacity.
But what will you do in a music therapy assessment session?
Music therapy sessions are fun and creative, where little people get to shine!
What you will see is your child and the therapist engage in musical interactions, improvisation and musical play that allows the therapist to explore your child’s abilities to express themselves through language and non-language avenues.
This includes music, communicate verbally and non-verbally, connect with others, express emotions, regulate emotions, move their body, coordinate their big and little movements, to name but a few.
You will see this through the following musical activities and interactions:
- Singing
- Dancing
- Playing instruments
- Writing songs
- Improvising
- Instrumental games
- Music and relaxation activities
We offer 45 minute sessions in our Clayfield clinic.
We also offer 45 minute sessions onsite at schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and homes where we have capacity in our home visiting schedules.
What happens next - after the assessment sessions?
After your assessment period, you will be provided with a comprehensive assessment report.
This report will detail the music therapist’s observations, evidence and data as well as recommendations for your child’s music therapy program, goal areas that we can focus on. You will also have an an opportunity to collaborate on the report.
Once you have accepted the report, your music therapist will develop a personalised support plan with your child’s unique goals and objectives, with information on how their interests and preferences will be incorporated into the program.
How will I pay for music therapy services?
Music therapy is recognised by the NDIS as a Capacity Building Support for Early Intervention and beyond.
People who do not access the NDIS self fund music therapy sessions.
How can I get started today?
Please click the button below to fill out the enquiry form to get started today.
Otherwise, please get in touch if you have any further questions by visiting our Contact Us page.