600.56
Friday, April 16, 1976
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University Daily Kansan
With an ear toward music
To close the therapy sessions the children usually sing a song, an activity that helps generate the idea of group togetherness. The sessions, which last half an hour, are filled with activities that stress involvement, which helps the children learn how to function.
One of the key points of the program is the use of normal children as models.
By JENNY CARTER
Ever since man first beat two sticks together to attract the attention of his fellow cave dwellers, music has been bringing people together.
But it wasn't until this century that music was used to aid the handicapped.
A program of music therapy was developed at the University of Kansas in 1946 by E. Thayer Gaston, professor of music education.
The program was designed to use music as a tool through various orthopedic and psychological principles to help change socially unacceptable behavior.
GROUP SESSIONS are a major part of the music therapy program, according to Alicia Gibbons, music therapy clinic coordinator. The emphasis is on using a feeling of togetherness and on using a feeling of being needed to raise self-esteem.
One activity of the group involves giving each pre-school child a rhythm instrument such as drums, triangles or bells and the group brings them in a simple rhythmic set of beats.
ONE OF THE classroom combinations is non-handedied pre-school children and primary-aged children with emotional problems. This kind of mental retardation or physical disabilities
This teaches the group to play on cue and function as an ensemble. It also teachers such individual needs as motor control, self-esteem, social skills, and problem solving in help, more complex instruments.
Every effort is made to prevent isolation. Group members are deliberately chosen to compliment each other, and activities are planned to bring out individual involvement.
The University Affiliated Facilities, a program that combines professionals working in the fields of music therapy, speech pathology, uses this method.
Janet Gilbert, music therapy clinic supervisor, said, "The idea of mixing normal and special children is that the normal child acts as a social model and
Nancy Peterson, associate professor of special education, said that one of the ideas that had changed in the program was that students would achieve a certain child could reach.
learns to be receptive to all kinds of people."
WE'RE FINDING that with different teaching techniques and earlier training the handcapped child can accomplish far more than expected." she said.
Rod Hocott, Lawrence graduate student, said, "We always try to pick out the good points. There is a way to get the point across that something is not good without saying
The clinic also benefits about 180 people in three local nursing homes and Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where it aids esophiatric rehabilitation.
ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS are set for each child according to his needs. The non-handcapped children are called on to answer the more difficult questions. This stimulates them and sets an example for the other children.
The clinic works with referrals from the community and has a Monday evening session for the Aging. Musical activities are designed to give senior citizens reasons to interact with each other. They play in the listen to music and have discussions.
The children are rewarded by the teachers for appropriate behavior.
MIKE CLARK, the KU Medical Center's only registered music therapist, is working in the psychology department with all ages of in-patients.
One of his activities is working on group relaxation. Soft music is used as a breathing exercise to help relax the breathing and muscle exercises to teach the members that they can control their own breathing.
"I'm having really good results with that group." be said.
Clark is now working with a minimum of equipment but he plans to bring in music therapy students for clinical training when the program is more established.
The close interaction between teacher and student breeds a familiarity that permits the exchange of private secrets.
Using simple games,
like Simon says, helps
the children enjoy as
well as learn from the
Music Therapy program.