IEP Music Therapy Services

In Harmony Therapeutic Services offers music therapy services for individuals and groups in school-based settings. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes music therapy as a related service via the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which enables In Harmony to offer music therapy services as part of an Individual Education Plan (IEP). When a student, or group of students, are identified as needing additional supports to achieve the goals and skills outlined in their individual education plan, music therapy intervention may be considered. 

School-based music therapy supports

  • Increased academic learning and skill development (e.g., literacy and math concepts, daily living routines and skills)
  • Improved receptive and expressive communication (e.g., greetings, conversations)
  • Increased social skills and social engagement (e.g., turn-taking, joint attention, tolerance of others, etc.)
  • Improved fine and gross motor skills (e.g., pre-writing strokes, handwriting, imitation, etc.)
  • Improved retention of skills
  • Improved emotional regulation and understanding of emotions
  • Improved communication
  • Increased self-esteem and mood

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is the clinical evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
 
Music therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives.
Credit: American Music Therapy Association

These are the top 10 therapeutic characteristics of music making it an effective tool in the educational setting:

  • Music captivates and maintains attention, stimulating and utilizing many areas of the brain; 
  • Music is easily adaptable and therefore can be accessible to any ability;
  • Music structures time in a way that is understandable and predictable;
  • Music provides a meaningful and enjoyable context to practice repetition of concepts;
  • Music provides a safe and structured setting for social context;
  • Music is an effective memory aid;
  • Music supports and encourages movement; 
  • Music naturally taps into memories and emotions;
  • Music provides nonverbal immediate feedback;
  • Music is success oriented, allowing individuals of all ability the opportunity to participate.

IEP music therapy services target non-musical outcomes such as, but not limited to:

  • Answering “wh” questions requiring recall from songs and stories
  • Maintains attention to academic task for increased periods of time
  • Recognizes and names the 26 letters of the alphabet
  • Matching letters to sounds
  • Read sight words and high frequency words
  • Identifies and produces rhyming words in songs and stories
  • Receptively and expressively understands prepositions
  • Counts objects using 1:1 correspondence
  • Matches shapes
  • Completes simple addition and subtraction 
  • Identifies coins and their value