Published: Thu 1st January
ISSN 1359-4575

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Journal Articles:
Music therapy for autistic children and their families: a creative spectrum (p8 - p14)
view abstract
A review of the literature shows that little has been published about music therapy for parents and children together, and Oldfield's recent article (Oldfield et al. 2003) describes this work as 'fairly uncommon'. This paper uses three clinical examples to illustrate a range of approaches to working with children with autism and their parents: a group for children with autism and their parents in a mainstream primary school, short-term work with a 4-year-old autistic girl and her mother, and work with a mother and her two young sons, one of whom has Asperger's Syndrome. Music therapy can help children with autism to communicate and interact and can build their self-confidence. It can also play an important role for parents of children with autism, who may be under great stress, by fostering relationships, developing positive interactions and helping them to feel contained and supported.
Exploring the link between music therapy and sensory integration: an individual case study (p15 - p23)
view abstract
The paper begins by introducing Joan - the subject of the case study. A description of Joan's music therapy gives a glimpse of a session in which the primary focus is on how Joan responds to various physical challenges. The paper examines the therapeutic significance of this response by looking at sensory integration, sensory integrative dysfunction and Sensory Integration (SI) theory. The paper considers the link between music therapy and sensory integration before concluding with a description and evaluation of a multi-disciplinary programme developed to meet Joan's sensory needs.
Musically elicited images as unique clinical data during the process of group analysis with traumatised adults (p24 - p29)
view abstract
This paper will discuss the clinical use of musically elicited images - the referential imagery brought up either by therapeutic music listening or clinical improvisation, and created during music therapy. Clinical abstracts of group analytic music therapy will be presented to highlight the reconstruction of traumatic experiences and to illustrate the function of musically elicited images as visualized metaphorical condensations of client's ideas and feelings. The analysis of these images provides a unique opportunity for insight and integration. They connect the client into his/her feeling self, bring up associations, and help to provide a window into events and feelings, which might otherwise be closed. My theoretical approach is based on the psychoanalytical group analytic theories (Foulkes 1964, Foulkes 1990, Foulkes & Anthony 1990) and self-psychological aspects (Harwood 1988a, 1988b). The model of the mind that serves as a frame of reference for the comments that comprise the remainder of this paper draws mainly on Freud (1900), Dowling (1987), Eisnitz (1987), Gillman (1987), Ornstein (1987), Pines (1988, 1996, 2003), Rangell (1987) and Rothstein (1987).
Video Review
Joshua and Barry. Music Therapy with a Partially Sighted Little Boy with Cerebral Palsy - Reviewed by Rebecca O'Connor (p30 - p31)
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