Music therapy services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders can provide a creative, safe, and encouraging environment in which to work on cognitive development, language and communication utilization, motor skill implementation, and social/behavioral skill-building. As board-certified music therapists, we focus on working with the elements of music (e.g., melody, lyrics, rhythms, etc.) to support these non-musical goal areas. Specific goals may include:

• Answering “WH-“ questions

• Identifying emotions

• Memorizing personal information (e.g., address, phone number)

• Learning colors, shapes, animals, body parts, etc.

• Developing preferred coping skills

• Utilizing preferred communication method(s) for expressive language skills

• Enhancing fine & gross motor skills

For more information, check out the links below!

https://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/Fact_Sheet_ASD_and_MT__8-26-15.pdf

https://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/FactSheet_Music_Therapy_in_Special_Education_2021.pdf