Music Therapy in Paediatric Neurodisability: Exploring the Evidence for Functional Outcomes
Karen Twyford1
1Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
Abstract
The impact of a neurodisability can have long lasting consequences on an individual’s ability to participate in all aspects of life. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation is therefore key to improving functional outcomes. Music therapy is considered a valuable intervention for children and adolescents with a neurodisability who access rehabilitation services. As a complex stimulus, music engages the global network of the brain and can provide a valuable foundation for recovery as it has the potential to induce brain plasticity due to the motivational and emotional role of musical experience. While empirical evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of music therapy for functional outcomes within adult neurorehabilitation, the extent of the emerging paediatric literature base on this subject is unclear. As part of a larger research project, a scoping review was undertaken. This paper will detail the process taken to explore the extent, range, and nature of evidence in relation to the functional outcomes experienced by children and adolescents with a neurodisability, who typically access tertiary hospital rehabilitation services, and who also access music therapy as part of their neurorehabilitation. A presentation of findings and implications for further research in this field will be shared, and the utility of this methodology for other healthcare disciplines will be discussed.
Biography
Karen is a Registered Music Therapist working at Perth Children’s Hospital, predominantly within paediatric neurorehabilitation, and also in private practice. Karen’s extensive clinical experience has involved work in Child and Adolescent Health Services (CAHS), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), as well as education and community sectors in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Karen has completed training in clinical supervision and advanced Neurologic Music Therapy techniques. She is a current PhD candidate at UWA, where the focus of her research is investigating the impact of music therapy on functional outcomes for children and adolescents following an acquired brain injury across the rehabilitation spectrum.