Music Therapy With Adults With Learning Disabilities

Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities explores how music therapists work in partnership with people with learning disabilities to encourage independence and empowerment and to address a wide variety of everyday issues and difficulties. Comprehensive and wide-ranging, this book describes in detail the role and work of the music therapist with adults with learning disabilities. Many clinical examples are used, including casework with people with autism, asperger’s syndrome, profound and multiple learning disabilities and a dual diagnosis of learning disability and mental health problems. The book also explores issues of team work and collaborative working, considering how music therapists and their colleagues can best work together. The chapters are grouped into four sections; an introduction to current music therapy work and policy in the area, clinical work with individuals, clinical work with groups, and collaborative and team work. Guidelines for good practice are also provided. This is a thought-provoking and topical text for all those involved in work with adults with learning disabilities; it is essential reading for music therapists and fellow professionals, carers, policy makers and students.

Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities explores how music therapists work in partnership with people with learning disabilities to encourage independence and empowerment and to address a wide variety of everyday issues and difficulties. Comprehensive and wide-ranging, this book describes in detail the role and work of the music therapist with adults with learning disabilities. Many clinical examples are used, including casework with people with autism, asperger’s syndrome, profound and multiple learning disabilities and a dual diagnosis of learning disability and mental health problems. The book also explores issues of team work and collaborative working, considering how music therapists and their colleagues can best work together. The chapters are grouped into four sections; an introduction to current music therapy work and policy in the area, clinical work with individuals, clinical work with groups, and collaborative and team work. Guidelines for good practice are also provided. This is a thought-provoking and topical text for all those involved in work with adults with learning disabilities; it is essential reading for music therapists and fellow professionals, carers, policy makers and students.

The author describes how, in practice, music therapists work at child day care centres, adult day care centres and in other institutions. The first chapters cover the history and theory of working with music with people with developmental disabilities. The main body of the book covers discussion of the various methods, including individual and group work. Each method is described in terms of the clinical indications, the objectives set and the choice of techniques and musical instruments, and is illustrated through the use of case study. The final chapter draws conclusions for both theory and practice.

Integrated Team Working describes collaborative multidisciplinary approaches and demonstrates that they can be valuable methods of music therapy intervention. The authors explain the development of the music therapist's role within the multidisciplinary team and discuss the prevalence of collaborative partnerships between UK music therapists and other professionals such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists and other arts therapists. They examine the rationale, purpose and application of collaborative approaches and explore how and why music therapists adopt these approaches at differing levels. The book includes case studies from a variety of clinical settings, which illustrate the creative and innovative approaches used in transdisciplinary work in the evolving discipline of music therapy. This theoretical and practical guide offers useful advice for music therapy students and professionals who wish to employ collaborative approaches. It will also be helpful for other professionals who are considering or already working together with music therapists.

This is the first comprehensive overview of the present state of research in art therapy and music therapy in the UK. It challenges assumptions about research in these areas, and makes use of research models from art history and music analysis as well as the more orthodox psychological and medical models used in clinical work. Informative and reassuring for those interested in undertaking research, the book gives lively accounts of the personal process of the art therapy and music therapy researcher. It presents the reader with many original ideas and strategies, and will be an invaluable reference book for practitioners and students of art therapy and music therapy, as well as for health professionals who work with them.

This book provides valuable insight into the work of professional music therapists in their clinical practice. The contributors discuss work with a diverse range of clients, including those suffering from Alzheimer's, anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia, psychosis, personality disorder, anxiety and psychosomatic disorder.

Music therapy is growing internationally to be one of the leading evidence-based psychosocial allied health professions to meet needs across the lifespan.The Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy is the most comprehensive text on this topic in its history. It presents exhaustive coverage of the topic from international leaders in the field.

Music has always been an essential part of what it is to be human and yet not everyone has access to the music-based opportunities others take for granted. Motivated by the belief that individuals are disabled by society rather than any impairment they might have, Jane Williams sets out to show how someone with learning difficulties can engage with music in as many diverse and fulfilling ways as the rest of their community and generation. This practical guide will equip you with everything you need to know to help empower people with learning difficulties to experience and enjoy music, meaningfully. It sets out activity ideas in the context of existing Occupational Therapy models and offers a host of tips, resources and ready-to-use themed lesson plans to inspire and enrich your practice. There are also many practical examples and real-life success stories that show how to put the theory into practice, including downloadable tracks composed and performed by The LA Buskers, a band Jane works with. Accessible, practical and inspirational, the unique approaches described in this book will be of immeasurable interest to occupational therapists, social care workers responsible for planning and delivering activity programmes as well as community musicians.