Case Study:
Music Therapy - Making a Difference Through Music

Background
Totiana (Toti), a 19 year old woman who is blind and a spastic quadriplegic since the age of 7 months old, came to Hugworks for music therapy services in December of 2008. It was determined music therapy could serve to develop functional language and foster a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment for Totiana.


Shea & Totiana

Toti speaks, but has extremely limited purposeful language. She has a narrow vocabulary that is more accurately described as echolalia (repetition of vocalizations made by another person - which is also common in children with Autism) from common phrases and words she hears at home. In addition, she keeps her arms and hands tonic, not often demonstrating a willingness to outstretch her hands to reach for or hold instruments.

Goals
Through collaboration with caregivers and assessment, two major goals were set to help address Toti's needs.

  • Develop purposeful language
  • Encourage and develop use of her upper extremities

Results
After about a year of music therapy, Toti has made significant advancement in developing purposeful language and find motor skills. She is able to:

  • Use purposeful language in order to indicate whether to continue playing, to stop playing and to initiate certain music games.
  • Use the word "yeah" to indicate that music should continue, and "ooooooooh" in order for the music to stop.
  • Readily and independently outstretch her right arm and fingers on her right hand in order to strum the guitar when it is placed in her lap.
  • Strum the across the strings with her right hand.
  • Reach out for the guitar as soon as she feels it placed on her lap.

Totiana has demonstrated a great deal of progress toward developing purposeful language, as well as gaining more use of her right arm and hand. Music Therapy has not only been a motivation for Toti in developing these skills but her mother told me this type of therapy has been far more effective than all the other types of previous therapy.

About the Music Therapist
Shea Ingram is a Board Certified Music Therapist. In addition to being a Hugworks Music Therapist, she is also the staff Music Therapist at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX. Shea holds a BA in Music and a MA in Music Therapy. She is also a Certified Child Life Specialist.