CASE STUDIES

DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

Case 1: ABC
Age: 17yrs
Diagnosis: CP and MR
Has been coming to Meera centre for about 2 years now
As per the diagnosis he had a (non musical goals)
Sluggish behavior, delayed responses, lack of communication and
coordination, irritability on small things, frustration and anger, etc
(Musical goals)
Lack of prior knowledge or training in music
Hoarseness in voice
Lack of rhythm sense
Unable to follow lyric (words had to be repeated a few times for him
to follow)
• After beginning music therapy sessions:
• As per therapist’s (my) observation:
• Non musical:
• Behavior patterns have changed
• Better coordination and communication
• Much responsive as compared to before
• Improved coordination and communication with peers as
well
• Musical changes:
• Hoarseness in voice has reduced
• Can follow lyric better (can follow 2 to 3 words in a row)
• Pitching has improved
• Better rhythm sense
• He practices without insisting and likes singing
• Follows teacher’s instructions and suggestions
• As per parent’s observation:
• Responds better
• Anger symptoms have reduced
• Better understanding
• Cooperates better
• Voice quality has improved
• He has got a good response from the vocational
training institute as well regarding his
cooperation, level of understanding,
communication, etc
Case 2: DEF
Age: 8yrs
Diagnosis: Clots in brain due to which
Non-Musical parameters:
• She gets seizures
• one side of her body is bulged (not noticeable unless keenly
observed)
• Delayed responses
• No eye to eye contact
• Lack of communication skills, no proactive response, etc
Musical parameters:
• Though she had prior knowledge of music, she had very feeble
voice
• Lacked speech clarity
• Lacked pitch and rhythm sense
• As per therapist’s (my) observation:
Non musical:
• Better communication with therapist
• Better coordination
• Responds better
• Eye to eye contact has improved
Musical:
• Singing volume has improved
• She responds better in a group also
• Speech clarity has improved
• Rhythm sense is better
As per parent’s observation:
• Better behavior
• Happy with singing volume in class (as she
always sings very loudly at home)
• Better responses
• More calm
 CASE STUDIES
GERIATRIC CASES
• Case study 1: ABC
• Aged about 65yrs
• Diagnosis: Got operated after being diagnosed with brain
haemorrhage, paralytic stroke, walks with support, aphasic
(post operative speech problem), depression, temper
tantrum
• The above mentioned patient is a client of my mother who
is a speech therapist. I would sometimes accompany her
during her sessions and gradually I also started giving music
therapy. I have been giving music therapy sessions for about
a year now. He appreciates music of all genres – classical,
light music, film hits, devotional, etc.
Observations: (By Therapist)
• Reduced depression
• Helped to articulate few speech sounds better
• Improvement in voice quality
• Reduced anger bursts
• More cooperative for care giving
• Patient’s feedback:
• Though I cannot express verbally, I show
appreciation through gestures.
• Sometimes, I would be so moved by the music
that I shed tears.
• I am so happy to have gotten the chance to
listen to such good music.
• I always wait for my next session.
• I feel relaxed and calm after my music therapy
sessions.
• Now I am able to speak few words.
• Case Study 2: DEF
• Aged about 79yrs
• Diagnosis: Brain tumour, BP, Wheezing, Dysphasia (post operative),
depression
• The above mentioned patient is one of friend’s grandfather. Due to
post operative dysphasia, doctor had suggested for music therapy
which would also bring about changes in his health condition. As
there were 2 tumours, only large one could be removed due to his
age and the other one was retained and was suggested for
chemotherapy to dissolve the tumour. The patient had become
weak and depressed.
• Patient had a great affinity to music. His cooperation and
participation in sessions was great. The client enjoyed the sessions
thoroughly. He would sometimes sing along. When asked to recite
few slokas, sounds; he used to do with good enthusiasm. He
wanted me to sing his favourite songs and hum along. He was
eagerly waiting for the next session.
Observations: (By therapist)
• Reduced depression
• Improved speech clarity
• More cooperative in care giving
• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Increased calmness
Patient’s Feedback:
• I enjoyed the sessions
• I eagerly wait for the next session
• I like humming along
• I feel relaxed and my sleep quality improved
• I feel happy about my speech clarity
 GROUP STUDY
• Study over a population of 20 inmates of a
geriatric care centre to know the benefits of
providing Music therapy sessions for the
elderly as observed by the therapist:
• Physical state​
•  
• ​Improved mobility, strength and muscle control​
• Helped in pain management​
• Facilitated relaxation and stress management
providing positive physical reactions that
reduced the risks of high blood pressure​
• Enhanced the motivation for the session and
engagement in physical rehabilitation exercises
when these are combined with the use of music
• As clapping was encouraged, helped facilitate
overall health due to nerve stimulation
Cognition & Communication ​

• Helped in sensory and intellectual stimulation

• Improved attention/concentration and
stimulated long and short-term memory
• Stimulated their mind through reminiscence
and creative self-expression which helped to
improve quality of life
Emotional state​​

• Provided the enjoyment of participation and also promoted

engagement, social interaction and a sense of belonging​
• Provided an important way to cope with the stress of
ageing, as it eliminates anxiety, depression and feelings of
isolation
• Enhanced self-esteem by providing opportunities for choice
and control
• Facilitated expression of feelings and emotions​
• Improves mood, motivation, and overall well-being
• Decreased levels of stress and agitation and promoted
positive behaviours​
• Improved relaxation, sleep patterns and food intake​
 Music Therapy and children with Special
Needs
Music works well on children with special needs as it is
interactive and therapeutic.
Children with special needs often struggle with necessary
communication skills, eye to eye contact, social
interaction, group behavior, motor skills, on task
behavior, etc
Each child has different challenges, strengths, behaviors
and preferences
 Music Therapy works well on special children as it helps to:
• Improve communication skills
• Facilitate social interaction
• Become flexible and respond better
• Cope up with academic difficulties
• Facilitate relaxation
• Increase motor skills (coordination)
• Become independent
• Increase self confidence
• Enhance speech clarity and pronunciation
• Improve eye to eye contact
• Wait for their turn (sitting tolerance)
• Boost self esteem
• Increases attention span 
 Personality Traits of a Music Therapist
• Compassion towards special children
• Good Knowledge of music / music sense
• Interest in teaching
• Welcoming with a smile
• Encouragement
• Supportive
• Teach with open eyes so as to observe expression
• Establish a caring and professional relationship
• Patience and perseverance
• Dedication
• Empathy
• Acceptance of the clients
• Understanding
• Creativity
• Positive reinforcement
• Token of appreciation
• Sense of humor
• Cater to the client/child’s needs
• Reassuring the family members about the therapy and its effects
To add to this:

Individual session is more effective than group session.

Each child is different as they have different level of IQ, Speech,
Communication, Perception, Acceptance, tolerance, etc
Based on the child’s needs, one has to assess and formulate the
pattern of teaching accordingly.
So, there is a different pattern of teaching for each child which
makes music therapy session more effective and also helps
the child to bring out more of what they already possess.
Our focus should be on positive qualities of the child.
Once the focus is on the positive, it helps them develop existing
attributes faster and grasp newer things.
They respond better and it enables to establish a good
relationship between the child and the teacher
Music therapy is not only teaching

It also emphasizes learning

Day in and day out we learn a lot from each child
It also helps us to innovate new techniques and
improves our creativity which facilitates
improvement in learning among children
Whenever new techniques are brought in, children
enjoy and learn with more enthusiasm and interest.
Group session can bring about joy and relaxation
Whereas individual sessions help in learning, brings
about joy and also relaxation
 Versatility of a music therapist:
• Music therapist needs to have a basic
knowledge of the music he/she is using for
therapy: instrumental/vocal
Training in various genres:
• Enhances creativity
• Better adaptability
• Can formulate patterns better
• Better understanding and relativity/connectivity
with the client
 CONCLUSION
• Music affects you in many ways; however, it primarily affects
your brain, through which the rest of your body can be
affected. Music is an excellent therapeutic tool for the brain,
because it activates so many parts of it. Music’s pitch, rhythm,
meter and timbre are processed in both the left and right
hemispheres of the brain. Listening to music triggers the areas
of the brain that have to do with spatial reasoning. Music can
even alter the brain if it is studied from a young age. Research
shows that musical training in children can improve the activity
of important neural systems. In fact, if someone receives a lot
of music training before they turn 15 (or go through puberty),
there is a chance that they will develop perfect pitch. Certain
scientists think that musicians who have had early training use
their brains differently than non-musicians.
• It has also been proven that music has a huge
effect on your mood. This occurs because of the
rhythm and tone that we hear when we listen to
music. 
• The brain can even be improved by listening to
music, and so can our mental and physical health.
Music can even be used to boost our mood.
However, we have to know which type of music is
most beneficial for us, as it is normally based on
personal preference, even though classical music
is usually the most rewarding. This ancient art is
also one of the most powerful forms of healing for
many different sicknesses. Music is truly amazing!
 Recommendations
• Government aided medical institutions should
undertake research with respect to music therapy
and its effects on geriatric care and old age
• All geriatric care centres, old age homes and
hospitals in Bangalore should introduce Music
Therapy along with other activities, therapies and
treatment. Since Music Therapy has benefits with
respect to their overall well being, great
improvement in health conditions and more
cooperative making their old age more enjoyable
and comfortable. It is good to make it a part of
their other activities and treatments
• There should be courses and training facilities
provided for people who are interested in becoming
music therapists. Since Music Therapy is an
upcoming field, more number of people interested in
dealing with many specialities can be trained in the
field.
• Caregivers who are special educators, children,
spouses, guardians, relatives, should be oriented
about music therapy; they should also undergo
training and orientation with respect to how Music
Therapy works and benefits the individual and also
helps in overall well being to cope up with their
health condition facilitating improvement in present
health condition.