An overview of music therapy for children with cerebral palsy
It is widely accepted that music and rhythm have healing powers because they speak more to our emotions than to our intellect. Distressed children often calm down when sung to them and find comfort when listening to classical music. Music therapy and training have had consistent and profound effects on children suffering from cerebral palsy, leading to improvements in cognitive performance, spatial reasoning, verbal skills, and a general sense of well-being.
Music can actually alter the landscape of the brain, something that has been shown in recent years thanks to advanced imaging technology such as MRI. Neurological music therapy is now a recognized and emerging scientific field and is becoming common as a treatment for patients suffering from brain injuries.
Music can actually grow and heal neural pathways in the brain, connecting areas dedicated to speech, touch, movement, sound, and emotion—all areas of the brain needed to make music. Neuroplasticity, also known as cortical remapping, refers to the ability of neural pathways and synapses in the human brain to change as a result of behavior, environment, and neural processes. This allows the brain to reorganize itself and bypass injured areas to promote skill development in other areas.
Studies have shown that fetuses are quite capable of hearing sounds while in the womb and that they demonstrate a preference for the same music by about 1 year of age. Music is a source of delight for children and a pleasure that continues beyond childhood, into adolescence and beyond.
Given that music has been shown to have an effect on so many parts of the brain, that it is enjoyed throughout life, and that it helps facilitate brain plasticity, it is not surprising that it has become a therapeutic science of its own and is used to improve many of the traditional therapies. Therapists and researchers have documented cases where music therapy has provided profound benefits to patients with cerebral palsy. Both music and CP affect multiple areas of the brain, and while CP is most commonly defined as impaired motor skills, it is also known to create disturbances in perception, behavior, communication, cognition, sensation, and leads to seizure disorders. Music helps bridge lost connections between brains.
Researchers and therapists are increasingly including music therapy as an integral part of cerebral palsy intervention. Because music can affect the brain’s ability to link movement, sound, patterns, and emotions, it has effectively promoted improvements in many areas for cerebral palsy patients, including: communication, gait control , head and torso control, hand movement, rhythm introduction for deaf children, hand-eye coordination, relaxation, muscle response, and group play.
Music therapy can begin at home at virtually any age. Professional music therapists (those who are board certified as trained in music, assessment, documentation, and counseling) can be provided at no cost through state-funded programs and as part of many IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) in school systems public. Music therapy is frequently a crossover therapy tool and is used in conjunction with other clinical skills. Many music therapy programs are now covered by insurance plans.