#interventions

Léo “Interventions” Kenya (2006) Source

Ceramic Mosaics Mend Cracked Sidewalks, Potholes, and Buildings in Vibrant Interventions by Ememem

#iAminlove #somfpretty #mondaymotivation #thelittlethings #streetart #Ememem #Interventions #Vibrant #Buildings #Interventions #Potholes #Sidewalks #Cracked #Mend #Mosaics #Ceramic @marys_mystik #artposts #newcontemporary #thisiscolossal #contemporaryart #artinstallation #unique #thanksabunch

#nowplaying🎧 Londabaja by Binder & Krieglstein feat. Makki #Londabaja by #Binder & #Krieglstein feat. #Makki

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2021/05/ememem-street-mosaics/

‘Bad Ideas’ - My Writing Journal - Is Dead Thanks for the ask, @chaosandwonder !

Page 9… Was the first page of notes for what became "Interventions". You can read it on AO3 if you like, but it wasn't one of my better works. [ https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902523/chapters/34516040 ]

Page 99… is a worldbuilding bio page of Ulannium Kaarz and Illaynah Antilles of my Halcyon Legacy. I have a lot of random notes about them. I can't show you the whole thing, but here are some juicy bits.

Page 199… I can't share this one, but its a WIP for a piece that will retell the finale to KOTET - the final battle between Valkorion and Corellan.

Written By: Alan Berkeley

Prominent 19th-century writer Berthold Auerbach once wrote that “music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life.” Music is often cited as one of the few “universal” languages that bring joy to everyone regardless of their background, and years upon years of research have shown that this is no coincidence. Every aspect of music, from rhythm to melody to harmony to dynamics, influences our perception and behavior. As such, the use of music as a therapeutic tool is one that warrants analysis, particularly to assist those on the autism spectrum. 

A Brief History of Music Therapy

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was founded in 1950 (it was known then as the National Association of Music Therapy or NAMT) (AMTA, 2022). Prior to its founding, programs that studied music therapy were limited to a select few college campuses. However, numerous music organizations and hospitals had a growing interest in using music to treat veterans of the second world war. In subsequent decades, professional music therapists were able to find increased stability in their work through more solid backing from various music organizations. Then, in 1971, the music therapy program at NYU became the first music therapy degree program to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) (AMTA, 2022). The ’80s and ’90s saw a proliferation of music therapy knowledge and growth, whether it be through the publication of landmark music therapy publications like the NAMTs Music Therapy Perspectives, or through the unification of some of the most prominent players among music therapy groups in the NAMT and the American Association of Music Therapy (AAMT) (AMTA, 2022). Since then, the study of music therapy has only continued to grow. An analysis of music therapy trends by Li, Weng, and Wang (2021) found over 100 official music therapy publications worldwide, five times more than the number at the turn of the millennium. Let’s look at what some of these publications have revealed to us regarding music therapy and its impact on those with autism. 

Music Therapy and Autism

Research across the world has indicated positive outcomes for individuals with autism who receive music therapy. Both social and communication skills have been shown to improve through a plethora of methods including vocalization and singing, improvisation, instrumental instruction, or simply listening to music. For example, a review of 10 music-therapy-related studies by Geretsegger et al. (2014) found these methods to be significantly superior to standard care looking to provide similar outcomes, whether it be engaging in social interaction in a variety of contexts, social-emotional reciprocity, or communication either verbal or non-verbal in nature. Music therapy appears to aid non-verbal communication greatly, as even studies that may not have found significant results overall, like the aforementioned Geretsegger et al. (2014) review, still found positive effects in this area (see Gattino et al. (2011)), likely due to music’s power to flexibly communicate emotions, needs, and values (Gfeller, 2002). The way that music can transcend thought and evoke meaning through emotion is one of the reasons it may be such an effective therapeutic tool, particularly for individuals on the autism spectrum.  The benefits of music therapy are supported in children with autism as well, with a study conducted by Kim, Wigram, and Gold (2009) finding that improvisational music therapy in particular promoted positive engagement and emotional synchronicity between children and their therapists, indicating that not only could music therapy be more effective than standard therapy, but it may also be more enjoyable for those receiving it. Kaplan and Steele (2005) found that the positive impacts of music therapy may generalize to environments outside of the clinic, as well. 100% of the caregivers they surveyed as a part of their study reported that the skills learned through musical interventions in areas such as language skills, behavioral skills, and even motor skills appeared to have transferred outside of therapy.

Still, while many of these studies point to music therapy as a highly potent source of positive outcomes for neurodivergent individuals, it is important to note that further research is still needed to cement this claim. Many of the studies mentioned had small sample sizes, meaning more research must be conducted in order to examine where and how music therapy interventions can best be utilized by those with autism. If the outcomes of this research continue to be positive across a wide array of skills, therapists can be confident that they can use music as the vessel for positive change that it is often intended to be.

References

American Music Therapy Association. Music Therapy Historical Review | American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/music_therapy_historical_review/ 

​​Gattino, G. S., Riesgo, R. D. S., Longo, D., Leite, J. C. L., & Faccini, L. S. (2011). Effects of relational music therapy on communication of children with autism: a randomized controlled study. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 20(2), 142-154.

  Geretsegger, M., Elefant, C., Mössler, K. A., & Gold, C. (2014). Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6).

  Gfeller, K. E. (2002). Music as communication.

  Kaplan, R. S., & Steele, A. L. (2005). An analysis of music therapy program goals and outcomes for clients with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. Journal of music therapy, 42(1), 2-19.

  Kim, J., Wigram, T., & Gold, C. (2009). Emotional, motivational and interpersonal responsiveness of children with autism in improvisational music therapy. Autism, 13(4), 389-409.

  Li, K., Weng, L., & Wang, X. (2021). The state of music therapy studies in the past 20 years: a bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 2168.