Music has a unique power to affect us. Music can help us learn (think of how you learned your ABCs), motivate us to do hard things (think of how you got through your last exercise session), and above all create joy, connection, and fun. Our children are naturally drawn to music for all of these reasons, and more.
Music therapy taps into these special attributes of music to help our children accomplish therapeutic goals in areas ranging from cognition to socialization. It can be beneficial not only for children who have a particular musical talent but for anyone who enjoys music.
To learn more about music therapy and how it can benefit children with disabilities, we spoke to two highly experienced music therapists practicing in Southern California. Angela Meier, MM, MT-BC, is CEO of the Music Therapy Center of California, which has been providing music therapy in San Diego for 20 years. John Mews, LMFT, NMT, likewise has practiced music therapy for 20 years; his organization, Mewsic Moves, has a special focus on a type of music therapy called neurologic music therapy, which supports individuals with autism as well as other neurodivergent individuals.
According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), music therapy is the use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship with a credentialed music therapist. Music therapy interventions can address a variety of health and educational goals related to cognition, speech and language, sensory-motor, and social-emotional development, and can be effective for children of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. Academic journals such as the Journal of Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives publish research supporting the efficacy of music therapy.
But what is it about music that makes it an effective therapy? Music therapists say that the reason is simple: music is part of us. As Mews puts it, “From the time of conception, everything after that is music, from the division of our cells to our breathing pattern to our walking pattern, everything is based on music and rhythm.”
While not all of us feel musical or have any particular musical talent, Mews’s point is that, in a sense, music is part of our being. Music therapy seeks to tap into this organic connection to music to accomplish non-musical goals in a way that is natural and — perhaps most importantly — fun. “We always joke that [with] music, we're tricking kiddos,” says Meier. She says kids are drawn in by the music and may not even realize they are working on a goal. Music therapy addresses goals that other therapies can also address, but, says Meier, “a huge advantage is that music is fun.”
Not just anyone with musical skill can provide music therapy for your kiddo. Music therapists must hold a bachelor’s or higher degree in music therapy from an AMTA-approved college or university program, where the curriculum covers both musical and clinical foundations. In addition, those who have graduated with a music therapy degree must obtain 1,200 hours of clinical training, complete an internship, and sit for a board-certification exam, which is required to practice.
The potential benefits of music therapy are many, including developing fine and gross motor skills, developing joint attention, reducing stress, improving emotional regulation, developing social skills, boosting self-esteem, and many more. Because music is multisensory, it can provide benefits in all domains of functioning. And because it’s fun, children may be more motivated to participate, which is a benefit in and of itself.
Music therapy can be used to address a variety of challenges in all areas, including learning, speech and language, social-emotional development, behavioral needs, sensory needs, and gross and fine motor skills. Because music is multisensory, many goals can be addressed at once. Strumming a guitar or tapping a drum in time with the therapist, for example, can address challenges with motor planning, listening, attending, and even emotional regulation. Writing and playing a silly song may help a child work through an issue that is causing them anxiety and stress.
Mews says that, similar to medical professionals, music therapists can specialize based on the population or setting they intend to work in. For example, music therapists can have careers focused on providing music therapy for older adults in hospice, children in hospital settings, patients in psychiatric facilities, or students with disabilities. Music therapists can also take advanced training in specific types of therapy or interventions.
Mews specializes in neurologic music therapy, which is a specific kind of music therapy that applies knowledge from neuroscience to the practice of music therapy with specific populations affected by neurological injuries or conditions, including autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, traumatic brain injury, and many others. In neurologic music therapy, therapists use standardized clinical techniques involving music to affect non-musical brain functions and behaviors. Neurologic music therapists — who obtain an additional NMT credential, on top of the MT-BC obtained by all music therapists — use musical interventions to treat cognitive, affective, sensory, language, and motor issues.
Neurologic music therapy is based on research which shows that music is processed in all areas of the brain — areas responsible for attention, memory, emotions, perception, executive function, language, emotions, and motor control. By engaging so much of the brain, music encourages neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow, organize, and reorganize new neural connections. Mews points to the example of a person with a traumatic brain injury who is unable to speak or recall the names of objects in their environment. A music therapist might put the words to a simple tune that’s deeply embedded in the person’s memory, say, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” using the familiar melody as a way to re-learn the language they’ve lost. A melody that was long ago stored in the person’s brain becomes a way to form new neural connections.
In another example, Mews tells the story of a client, a boy with autism, who was sent home from school for hitting a fellow student. At home, he paced around the kitchen island, repeating to himself that he was a bad boy. His mother called Mews to cancel their afternoon music therapy session but Mews offered to come to their home instead. When he arrived, he didn’t speak to the boy but sat on a sofa nearby, tapping a drum to the rhythm of the boy’s steps. The boy caught on and soon turned it into a game, speeding up and then slowing down, causing Mews to speed up and slow down the drum beats. Within minutes the boy was sitting beside Mews, calm and happy and interested in the drum.
Mews had used music to meet him where he was at and match his rhythm, both physically and emotionally, which he says “helped organize the brain,” and create connection, joint attention, and emotional regulation. He says beating the drum in time with his footsteps was like communicating to the boy, “I'm meeting where you're at. You're in a chaos situation. But I'm going to allow the music — without any vocals whatsoever — I'm going to allow the music and rhythm to connect with you.” For Mews, it all starts with the brain, not the behavior: “Treat the neurologic part first and then the behaviors will be reduced.”
Music therapy can be provided individually or in a group setting. Mews and Meier both say that the first thing the music therapist will do is conduct a thorough assessment focused on your child’s strengths and areas of need, as well as observe what instruments or aspects of music your child is naturally drawn to. The assessment process may take one to four weeks (one session per week), depending on your child’s needs. The therapist will then design a treatment plan based on the assessment, typically for six months to one year.
Here are some common music therapy interventions, according to the AMTA:
Because everyone is different, there is no such thing as a typical music therapy session. Your child’s sessions will be designed and music activities selected based on their specific strengths, goals, and interests. Sessions may involve creating music, playing instruments, singing, moving to music, listening to music, or talking about music, depending on the child. The musical genres, styles, instruments, and activities used in sessions will all be tailored to your child’s needs and preferences.
Meier says that music therapy can benefit people of all ages and abilities. Her youngest client was 6 months old, and her oldest is currently 97 years old. “If you have a heartbeat, you are a music therapy candidate,” says Meier.
Music therapy clients typically include clients with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Music therapy can help children with a wide range of diagnoses or those with no diagnosis — if they have needs related to cognition, speech and language, sensorimotor, and social-emotional development, they can be helped by music therapy. The common thread is a child who is or might be engaged by music.
How can we as parents know whether music therapy might be a good fit for our child? There are some clues to look for, Meier says. “One, if your child loves music. Two, if you find them singing around the house, if you find them really engaged with instruments, if you find that they also may be engaged with music videos.”
Music therapy is also an option for kids whose parents have tried other therapies without much luck. Both Mews and Meier say that parents often come to them only after other therapies fail. “Families often, in my 20 years of experience, have chosen music therapy as the last resort,” says Mews. “They're like, ‘I've done this, I've done that. This is not working.’ And then they choose music therapy. And so many times, so many times, I have heard parents say to me directly, ‘I wish I chose this first.’”
Mews notes that there is often an unspoken hierarchy of therapies, and that music and other “fun therapies” are often considered to be near the bottom because of the perception that they are only recreational. Mews hopes to dispel that notion. Neuroscience tells us that music powerfully affects the brain, which is why it is used in treatment for everything from Alzheimer’s disease to traumatic brain injuries. Some professionals think music therapy should actually be near the top of the hierarchy.
Music therapy is offered at music therapy clinics and private practices. A variety of services may be available, including individual sessions, group sessions, home consultations, and family therapy. Adapted music lessons for children with disabilities who want to learn to play an instrument outside of therapy may also be available.
Music therapy is also available in schools and, if appropriate, can become part of your child’s IEP. That’s because in 2014, music therapy was officially added to California special education regulations as a related service. Not all children need music therapy as part of their IEP, but if you think your child should have music therapy in school, you will need to formally request a music therapy assessment. After your request is made, an evaluation plan will be developed, and the music therapy eligibility assessment will be conducted by a board-certified music therapist. Following the assessment, the music therapist will discuss the results with you at an IEP meeting, and the IEP team will make a decision about whether to include music therapy in the IEP.
If you’re interested in music therapy as part of your child’s IEP, start by talking to your IEP team and requesting a formal music therapy assessment. Meier advises parents to explain why they feel music is a strength-based learning strategy that is required for their child to make progress in their IEP goals. If your child’s assessment shows that “using music as a cue, prompt or to structure learning directly supports progress towards meeting the student’s IEP goals and objectives,” that could be an indication that music therapy should be added to their IEP.
Music therapy is more than music, and it’s different from music lessons and other musical activities. The main difference, Meier explains, is that music lessons are focused on music outcomes, such as learning to play an instrument or sing, while music therapy is focused on non-music outcomes. Music therapy clients have specific, time-oriented goals related to areas such as speech, fine motor skills, attention, and more, and their music therapist tracks their progress and reports back to clinical supervisors and parents. Further, music teachers are equipped to help children learn musical skills, but they are not trained to support children with sensory, behavioral, and similar challenges; music therapists are trained to do both.
Meier notes that music therapy can, for some children, lead to music lessons. Organizations like the Music Therapy Center of California offer adapted lessons for children who want to pursue music-oriented goals or learning outside of music therapy. “A lot of the kiddos we get to work with… come in working on specific skills as [they] relate to social skills, or speech and language, or even motor skills. And then when they find, ‘Oh, I really love this, this is something I love to do,’ a lot of times we'll transition them into actually learning a specific instrument, whether it's piano or drums or voice, and then helping them really develop that lifelong recreational skill.”
Developing musical skills may be a goal your child pursues, but Mews also reminds parents to focus on first things first. Does your child have sensory, motor, social, or attentional needs to address before they will be able to benefit from a music class? If so, start with music therapy and allow musical skill development to be an ancillary benefit, or a goal to pursue later.
Meier and Mews both recommend starting your search with the AMTA website, which has a nationwide directory of board-certified music therapy providers by location. Starting your search here provides a quality assurance check, because only board-certified music therapists are listed. Mews warns that there are providers out there who will advertise that they do “music therapy” because they incorporate music into other activities or treatment modalities, but that is not the same as music therapy, and such providers do not have adequate training to use music to address the spectrum of social-emotional, sensory, motor, and educational challenges our children face. And because music is so powerful and has such an impact on our senses and emotions, Mews warns that “music can do harm” if used inappropriately by someone who is not properly trained.
When researching providers, be sure that they have the board certification that is required to practice professionally, indicated by the letters “MT-BC” after their name.
There are a few potential avenues for funding music therapy.
Private health insurance
It may not come as a surprise that insurance may not be the best option when it comes to reimbursement for music therapy. Leslie Lobel, Undivided’s Director of Health Plan Advocacy, advises parents to check whether the music therapist has licensure as a mental health provider or other provider type and can provide a billing code for a covered service on their health plan. Some music therapists are also licensed mental health therapists. Mews, for example, is both a board-certified music therapist and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Less commonly, some are also licensed occupational or speech therapists. These provider types are all likely to be covered under your policy.
If your music therapist is also a licensed provider of a covered service on your health plan, you may be able to submit your claim under your out-of-network benefits (the therapist will almost certainly be an out-of-network provider). Parents will then want to find out what their out-of-network coverage and deductible is for that covered service.
If your out-of-network deductible is high, it may take months or most of the year to reach your deductible, and in the end you may see little if any reimbursement. To complicate matters further, there’s also no way to know what your reimbursement will be until you submit a claim. If your plan provides 50% coverage for the service, that doesn’t mean you will be reimbursed 50% of what you paid the music therapist because insurance doesn’t reimburse based on the billed amount but rather on an allowed amount, which can be significantly lower than providers charge.
Health savings accounts (HSA) or flexible savings accounts (FSA)
If you find that music therapy is not a covered service under your health insurance, or that it takes most of the year to reach your out-of-network deductible, another option is your HSA or FSA, if you have one. Music therapy may be considered a qualifying medical expense under many plans. Check with your plan before submitting a claim.
Regional Center
Everyone we spoke to said that the Regional Center is an option for getting funding for music therapy. If you can demonstrate to the Regional Center that music therapy is not a covered benefit under your health insurance plan, then the Regional Center should provide funding as it falls under “Social/Recreational Services and Non-Medical Therapies.” Mews says that it’s easier to get music therapy funded through the Self-Determination Program, as Regional Centers often want to fund music classes rather than music therapy.
Lisa Concoff Kronbeck, Undivided’s Public Benefits Specialist, says there are a few parameters to keep in mind. First, music therapy has to support a goal in your child’s IPP. Fortunately, because music therapy can address such a wide variety of goal areas, from social-emotional to fine motor, this is not likely to be a big hurdle. Second, the music therapy provider will need to be vendored with your Regional Center (for families with Self-Determination, this is not required). However, if you find a provider that is not vendored with your Regional Center but is vendored with a different Regional Center, you can call to request the vendor file from that center. Concoff Kronbeck also recommends that parents look at their Regional Center’s purchase of service standards to get a sense of when the center is willing to fund the service, which can help you understand how best to structure your request.
Grant funding
Some grants are available to fund music therapy for children and teens, but opportunities are limited and may be difficult to find. Music Movement is a nonprofit organization that offers grants and scholarships for music therapy as well as instrument donations for children and teens with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. You may also be able to find grant opportunities through your local community foundation, nonprofit organizations, and public grant programs. Depending on the source, eligibility may be based on income and/or diagnosis. Again, grant opportunities are not abundant; we recommend starting with other funding options.
For additional information, check out our article How Do We Pay For It All? Undivided’s Guide to Funding Resources.
Music can be a fun and powerful tool for our kids. Whether your child wants to jam out on an instrument, sing or write songs, or learn the fine details of strings and keys, music can be another tool in the therapy toolbox. For additional fun therapies, check out our article on art in therapy.
This piece is dedicated to the memory of the writer's niece, Krissy Caires, whose life was changed by music and music therapy.
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