Erica's+Technology+Assignment

===[|//Music// therapy in the //assessment// and treatment of autistic spectrum **...**]=== noteabilities.com/downloads/Benefits_of_MT_for_Autism_3.pdf

This is an amazing article on how music can be used to assess kids who are Autistic. "Music therapy assessment evaluates more than just social engagement, and by analysing musical events and musical behavior, the evaluation and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data on many aspects of a child's activity offers additional relevant information."

By assessing through musical improv with the child I can see if they do repetitive patterns, initiate and sustain joint attention, how they interact, how they express, if there is an ability for give and take of a musical dialogue. For students that are autistic I would definitely want to do musical improv with them because this would help me to assess how much group work they are ready to do, how much change and chaos they can tolerate and what my expectations of them should be for participation in choir.

"There are examples where children demonstrate better than expected interaction in a non-verbal milieu, enagaging in appropriate musical play, and not presenting with 'autistic-like' characteristics in the playing, that may provide evidence of primary language delay or disorder, rather than ASD."

Musical improv can be used not only to assess but also to treat. With multiple sessions it is possible to increase the ability of the child to express and interact with others.

"Music is considered effective as a therapeutic medium because music contains many different levels of structure, yet provides the variability and flexibility needed to counteract the more rigid characteristics of the pathology."