Resources & references

The purpose of this theoretical paper is to explore and develop a critical notion of participation within the context of music therapy and children with visual impairment, and to examine theoretical ideas that are relevant for practice, research, and further theoretical discussion. The frameworks of community music therapy and disability studies are used. 

The COVID-19 pandemic created a major transformation in the delivery of music therapy services worldwide as they moved online. Parents and their children with visual impairment participated in online music therapy sessions. Parents indicated that the programme was a valuable family resource that supported bonding and interaction. A discussion of the findings is followed by implications for practice.

Article and video showcase work by music therapist Laurie Perez with a teenage student with cerebral palsy, demonstrating the use of song writing in a school setting with children with disabilities

This study aimed to investigate clinical effectiveness of a structured eight-week mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT) program on improving mood regulation in older women with blindness. 

This research examines the potential benefit of a music therapy social skills development program to improve social skills and academic performance of school-aged children with limited resources, in an afterschool program.
 

This report tells how music therapists help the various needs of students in a school for the blind. Different music therapy interventions are described, and music therapists explain how they address goals based on their students' Individual education plan. 

This article describes how musical interaction can contribute to bonding and early interaction for children with visual impairments (aged 1–4 years) and their caregivers, who participated in music therapy sessions over 10 weeks. This article discusses the findings in the broader perspective of disability studies and community music therapy, and argues that music therapy promotes positive interactions and empowerment of children with visual impairment and their caregivers.

Music therapy is an ancient and yet very modern practice that has the power to heal and transform our brains and bodies in significant ways. Kathleen Howland, speech language and music therapist explains how music really does have the power to heal our brain and heart.

This video exposes a case study of a child who was born without eyes and has always feared medical procedures. She is enrolled in music therapy at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s to decrease her anxiety.

This study describes an interprofessional intervention program, combining the expertise of an occupational therapist and of a music therapist to systematically teach piano keyboarding to preschool children with impaired vision. We conducted a small, mixed methods non-randomized pilot case study to determine how such a program could be successfully embedded into a preschool setting, to examine if fine motor skills improve post-intervention, and to study the perceived effects on participants and their families.

This video (in Spanish) presents a child with a neurologic disorder who received music therapy services in Spain. It includes interviews from the child's mother, the music therapist, and a music therapy student.