early intervention | Upstate Music Therapy Center LLC

Book: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

by Amy Thomas | Nov 15, 2020

Blog post by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Song performed and recorded by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

It’s that time of year where families are supposed to be gathering together at table, sharing food and laughter, and relaxing within the company of loved ones. For most of us, Thanksgiving celebrations will look very different this holiday season thanks to COVID-19. Families are being told it’s better to see only those in their immediate household. Large gatherings of people who do not live in the same household are frowned upon. For adults and children alike, these changes can be hard to digest. Young children may not understand what is going on in the world, but One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy will allow your child to focus on the meaning behind Thanksgiving and to be thankful for everything in their lives.

This particular storybook is geared more towards young children. It is a piggy-back song to the well-known tune of “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians.” Your child can engage in practicing a variety of skills such as counting, building vocabulary, and answering questions. While reading or singing this song to your child, here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

Practice counting numbers 1-10

There are many chances in this storybook for your child to practice counting from 1-10. It also gives them a chance to work on number sense by pointing to a different pilgrim, Wampanoag, or turkey while counting.

Build your child’s vocabulary

There are a variety of animals, vegetables, and tools presented in the colorful illustrations by Lynne Cravath. Encourage your child to identify different items throughout the book by pointing to them or saying the words out loud. This allows your child an opportunity to build on their speech production as well as to build their vocabulary.

Answer questions

Don’t be afraid to ask your child questions about anything in the storybook: How many pilgrims do you see? What are the Wampanoag doing now? Will they come together to give thanks for all they have? Young children may not be able to answer abstract questions, but encourage them to think outside of the box.

One of our music therapists, Kayla Davitt, has performed and recorded this well-known tune. Feel free to play this recording for your child and sing along with the storybook.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

We hope you enjoy using this storybook in your child’s schooling adventures, whether they be attending in-person, remotely, or both!

If you wish to purchase this book on Amazon, click here.

Happy reading!

The post “Book: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims” was originally published on Upstate Music Therapy Center,

How to Make a Music Therapy Referral

by Amy Thomas | Nov 6, 2020

Music speaks to us all in special ways. For some, it may be a form of emotional expression, a means to cope through hard times and celebrate the good. For many children, music is an integral tool for learning. Through the use of music, children can obtain and learn information long-term, perhaps even in subjects that they struggle in. For example, a child may have a difficult time learning their numbers or letters, but when put to a song they don’t have trouble at all!

Music Therapy is the use of music through evidence-based interventions aimed at accomplishing typically non-musical goals. In the school setting, Music Therapy is a service intended to strengthen the student’s performance related to communication skills, academics, social/emotional goals, and motor needs.

If you are a teacher, you may notice that using songs in the classroom helps your students pay attention throughout class. Using songs in the classroom gives children a “break” when they need it while still engaging them in learning. Does a specific student come to mind when you think of using music in the classroom?

As a parent, you may notice that music soothes your child when they are upset and helps them express themselves in a different way. Do you find yourself using music often to help your child work through frustrating times?

Are you a service provider in a school, like a speech therapist? You may find that many students are excited to communicate about music in a way they are not with other topics. Or, if you are a physical therapist, perhaps using rhythm and song motivates your students through difficult movement tasks.

Should I Submit a Music Therapy Referral?

There are indefinite ways that music can help a child succeed in school and at home. If you think Music Therapy would be a necessary addition to your child’s academic program, ask yourself these questions:

Does the child/student show an increase in attending when music is used?
Does the child/student produce more verbalizations or vocal sounds when singing versus when speaking?
Can the child/student be motivated to attempt tasks by the use of music?
Can the child/student be motivated to complete tasks by the use of music?
Does the child/student retain information conveyed in songs more easily than conveyed in spoken interchange?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be appropriate to submit a referral for a music therapy evaluation.

How Do I Submit a Referral?

1) Parents: Complete the Music Therapy Assessment Questionnaire

Music Therapy Assessment Questionnaire

2) Teachers and service providers: Complete the Music Therapy Referral Checklist and the Music Therapy Referral Form.

If you are a teacher or service provider referring a student for an evaluation, please share the “Assessment Questionnaire” in Step 1 with the student’s parent or guardian.

Music Therapy Referral Checklist

Music Therapy Referral Form

3) Once you have completed these forms, make a copy.

4) Send one copy to the school district, and another to Upstate Music Therapy Center, 401 Penbrooke Drive, Penfield, NY 14526

Once this paperwork is processed, you will hear from an Upstate Music Therapy Center therapist to schedule the evaluation. The evaluation will determine if music therapy is a necessary intervention for your child to make progress toward their IEP goals.

The post How to Make a Music Therapy Referral was originally published on Upstate Music Therapy Center.

Enhancing Lives Through Music Services

by Amy Thomas | Oct 18, 2020

Enhancing Lives Through Music Services

Do you have a child who recently graduated high school or aged out of their school-based music therapy services? Are you homeschooling or have a school-age child or preschooler who is now learning remotely? Maybe you are looking for a music experience to enrich your child or family member’s life? There are a variety of music opportunities through UMTC that can be conducted in your home, at our office, or virtually. These services are intended for members of our community of all ages and abilities. Read on to see if there is a service that grabs your attention!

Private Music Therapy Sessions

Perhaps you are searching for private music therapy services. There are many circumstances where music therapy may be an appropriate treatment option outside of the school setting – available for both children and adults. Music therapy may be recommended if the individual is more focused or completes tasks more consistently and successfully when music is used. Another circumstance would be if music elicits a non-verbal individual to make vocal sounds or attempts to sing songs or if an individual has limited mobility and is moving body parts to the beat of the music. Maybe your loved one has shown a strength in the area of music and you would like to explore the therapeutic options. The process to receiving music therapy services outside of school is different for everyone. Don’t hesitate to contact us to see what that process may look like for your child or family member.

Music Appreciation Class

Music Appreciation Class is a great way to expose the participant to different types of music, instruments, and activities in a small group setting. The best part is that the structure is totally flexible based on the participant’s interests! The music class leader wants the participant to be in charge and will create memorable, fun, and stimulating activities for them. Music appreciation is appropriate for all ages and abilities including families, siblings, or small groups.

Learning Through Music Class

Learning Through Music Class creates a wonderful engaging environment for individuals of any age to learn new skills or concepts. No matter what the topic, music can be paired with learning. The class offers instrument playing, singing, movement, and mnemonics (songs paired with concepts for improving and assisting the memory). The groups range from one to five participants.

Instrumental or Voice Lessons

Private instrumental or voice lessons are meant to be flexible for any learner! Adaptations can be made for diverse learning styles or those with a non-traditional approach to learning. If you know someone who has always wanted to learn an instrument or learn to sing, lessons through UMTC may be just right for them. We will ensure the lessons are structured for the participant to reach their maximum potential!

Where are the classes conducted due to COVID19?

Our classes are offered in-home, in schools and preschools, at our Penfield center, and virtually. In light of the pandemic, the decision of where to provide the service is dependent on the specific circumstances for everyone. Our therapists and class leaders are using PPE and all mandated safety protocol is being followed.

Funding may be available through your Self-Direction budget. For more information about Self-Direction contact our office. We welcome all questions about community-based music therapy services and prices? Click below to learn more.

SERVICES FOR ADULTS

COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

The Improve Your Mood Playlist

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Current Events: Thrive to Survive Workshop

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5 Steps to Becoming a Board Certified Music Therapist

Jan 4, 2022

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Servicing the Whole IEP

by Amy Thomas | Sep 18, 2020

When you think about music therapy and special education, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of a child who sang before they spoke or another who marches with confidence to a rhythm when learning to walk.

As music therapists, we aim to play on your child’s team. It is our goal to understand and support your child across all domains and services. In this blog, we will share quotes from service providers in schools outlining their experiences with music therapy.

Music Therapy and Academics

Music therapy is a wonderful means for supporting my student’s academic needs. During the summer months of virtual teaching, [the music therapist] and I collaborated to provide a morning meeting group lesson. Together, we targeted academics such as the days of the week, months, and seasons. I reached out to [the music therapist] for content-based songs that related to our weekly summer units. [the music therapist] has also written songs to help students work toward their IEP goals, such as songs about various shapes. Music therapy sessions provide many opportunities for learning to make choices and answer yes/no questions, which is a main component of my student’s educational program. Collaboration with the music therapist has been essential to helping my students achieve their learning goals! Colleen, Special Education Teacher

Music Therapy and Physical Therapy

“Music therapists coordinate with PT to figure out positioning for access points with very involved students. Positioning in wheelchairs or other adapted equipment is important for success in music therapy. Music also can be such a motivator for students to move or engage in a movement activity when a verbal direction isn’t as effective.” –Paula, Middle School Physical Therapist

Music Therapy and Vision Therapy

“Working with students with vision impairments we try to utilize their other senses as much as possible. Music is motivational and can be used in so many ways. I have older students that rely on voice over and developing quality listening skills when they are young is critical. When students enjoy an activity like music, we are able to incorporate more challenging tasks such as communication. The carryover from one setting to another is important for long term success.” –Darcy, Vision Therapist

Music Therapy and Alternative & Augmentative Communication

“This summer, [the music therapist] and I did co-treats between music and speech services via teletherapy Zoom. This included assisting a student in writing lyrics to a song that he wrote for a friend. By incorporating screen share and modeling of core words on the device along with sung lyrics, the student was able to drive the content of the session and compose and edit his song the way he wanted it to be. The result was an impressively emotional piece of art! With [the music therapist’s] help we also created a new music page for speech generating devices that included buttons for song choices, music descriptors (louder/softer, faster/slower), instrument choices, music actions (sing, dance, listen, play.)”–Paris, High School SLP

Music Therapy and Speech Therapy

“I have had the pleasure of doing music/speech co-treats for a year now. During that time frame, we have collaborated to help our students communicate more efficiently in a low-stress environment. By collaborating together, the students have been able to use a combination of voice/word approximations, low tech, and high tech to express a variety of communication needs. Having music as an option kept our environment flexible, encouraging, positive, fun, and reduced the amount of stress and pressure the student might feel to comply… There was a noticeable difference in student behavior and attitude when music was incorporated to speech sessions.” –Natasha, Middle School SLP

“Music and speech therapies perfectly complement each other! Music therapy allows our students to learn and practice using their communication systems in an incredibly motivating way. Collaboration is a key part of supporting our students especially in developing personalized music pages on each student’s communication system and in carrying communication skills over to the classroom setting! Music therapy has also been instrumental in teaching our students to use core vocabulary or words that are frequently used across all contexts. Music inspires communication!” -Julia, Elementary School SLP

Music Therapy and Orientation & Mobility

“[The music therapist] and I shared a student who was highly motivated by songs and singing but was less motivated by the idea of practicing proper white cane mechanics while walking during O&M class. I reached out to [the music therapist] and shared some white cane terms and phrases that she turned into a song that the student loved to sing. I recorded it on my voice recorder and carried it with me on lessons to help motivate [the student] when needed and the beat helped improve her mechanics. This student also struggled with left and right directions, so I again reached out to [the music therapist] and she helped create a song that had meaning to the student. We were able to practice it regularly before and during lessons to help reinforce this important concept because [the student] had so much fun singing and performing the movements associated with it.” –Janie, O&M Specialist

As Music Therapists, we try our best to ensure we are appropriately servicing your child. We never want to contradict the goals and objectives of another service provider, and as such we always communicate across the team. In an ideal scenario, Music Therapists tighten the connections across a whole team.

If you are an educator, parent, or service provider who thinks music therapy may be beneficial on your student’s or child’s team, do not hesitate to reach out. Click here or email Amy Thomas at amy@upstatemtc.com to get the conversation going!

Blog was written and interviews were conducted by Katie Pistilli.

Emotional Wellbeing in Our Children: What Should We Look For?

by Amy Thomas | Jul 31, 2020

One of our top priorities since the middle of March has been to carefully watch for the emotional wellbeing of our students, and their families once we began remote therapy sessions. As children were approved by each school district to receive music therapy through a teleconferencing platform, according to their IEP, one of our first priorities was observing for any cues during the teleconferencing session that the student or family were experiencing social-emotional challenges due to the stay at home order. Since then we have worked diligently to reach families who have been less responsive to explore if there is another level in which we can support them, even if teleconferencing is not an option. This has included phone calls, emails and sending packets of digital and printed music opportunities for the parent to participate in with their child. Music has offered the child and family a refreshing escape from some of the day to day challenges they have been experiencing. Families have at times sought out continuing music therapy over other services for the summer because of the positive effect it has had.

Uncertainty for the Fall

As school district administrations watch for direction from the state governors for guidelines, they are surveying the families. The intent is to determine what type of school attendance the parents are thinking is best for their children and family circumstances, however, in some cases the preferred choice is not available. One of the most popular preferred choices that have not been an option on the surveys is reopening schools fully for all students and allowing families to decide if they would like to participate. Instead, there appear to be hybrid models being proposed combining online learning and school attendance, to spread out the children during bussing and within the facility. Regardless of what each school district decides they will be offering the students and their families; it has become clear that the anxiety over what the new school year will look like is rising.

Parents are sharing the following concerns and questions:

Will my child be safe if attending school?
What are the potential health issues of my child wearing a mask all day in school?
My child is showing depression over not being able to go back to school. What should I do?
My children are not making progress using remote learning.
We have a child with special needs, and she is falling further and further behind. How will she ever catch up?
Are pandemic pods a safe way to go to help my child socialize and learn in a group?
I need to go back to work however cannot do so unless my children can go back to school fulltime.
My son has been experiencing increased anxiety when I am not around, something that we have never observed before.

Parents are wise to watch their children’s reactions to the changes they are experiencing. Here are some of the symptoms that might be observed:

4 to 7-Year Old

In children ages 4 to 7 years, children tend to express stress through regression and separation anxiety. They may begin bedwetting or cling to a parent when they attempt to leave the home. This is where routine comes in. It does not need to be the same routine from Pre-Covid19, it simply needs to be realistic for the current situation. This age group also struggles with social distancing which makes getting together with other children more difficult.

7-10-Year Old

In the 7 through 10 age group, children can pick up on stress and may become fearful for their own health. At this age, they are not typically capable of expressing their own emotions. The parent may see an increase in irritability or crying. Limiting how much news and adult conversation is conducted about the pandemic around these children is important. Instead, create opportunities for the child to talk with an adult and ask questions they have about what is going on as well as share how it is impacting their life, including their own health fears.

10-13-Year Old

In ages 10 to 13 years, children tend to struggle with academics. At this age, they work well with structure, which is why they need routine. They generally have not developed self-regulation at this age which makes schooling with much less instruction and guidance especially challenging. Parents should focus on the effort of the child and not necessarily the completed tasks. Providing them with an organized space and helping them create a structure that works best for them is most helpful for children in this age bracket.

14-17-Year Old

At ages 14 to 17, social distancing can have a devastating effect on them, resulting in an increase in depressive symptoms such as listlessness and lack of motivation. This age group is heavily impacted by the loss of sporting games, social gatherings like proms, clubs, and other regular or annual events. They can express their emotions and will do so when feeling safe and supported, so offer those natural times to open the door for honest conversation. Seek out someone outside of the family if they are not willing to talk to a family member. Assist your child in finding acceptable online social opportunities like yoga classes, gaming, and Zoom parties with their friends.

Creating a New Normal

All children can benefit from learned breathing exercises, mindfulness, regular weekly social gatherings online or in a pod, and scheduled weekly family activities that the child enjoys. Creating a new normal for this time is important while watching your children for emotional wellbeing concerns.

If your child is experiencing a difficult time with the many changes COVID-19 has created feel free to scroll down and send us a message in the Contact Us portion. We have many services including, counseling, creative arts therapy, and music therapy that might be helpful.

Book: Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea

by Amy Thomas | Jul 10, 2020

Blog post written by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Song performed and recorded by Jamie Swieringa, MT-BC

A sea turtle. A dolphin. A great white shark. These are just some of the creatures you may think of when picturing yourself swimming in the ocean. With this summer heat, everybody wants to be swimming, whether that be in a pool, a lake, the ocean, or even the bathtub! In Jan Peck’s storybook Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea, young children will encounter numerous sea creatures while journeying through the ocean with the main character who is on a quest for pirate treasure!

Jamie Swieringa, a fellow music therapist and employee at UMTC, wrote a very creative and catchy melody to sing while reading this book with your child. Feel free to sing along with the recording or create your own melody!

At UMTC, our therapists strive to develop creative ways to incorporate music into everyday activities. Using this book during storytime with younger children is a great way to entice them into learning through music! This wonderfully illustrated storybook is mostly geared towards younger children. While reading this book with your child, you can address a multitude of skills such as animal identification, color identification, opposites (big/little, up/down, etc.), and appropriate social greetings using “hello” and “goodbye” in song. Here are a few suggestions to follow when reading this book with your child:

Animal and Color Identification

Most young children may be familiar with the more commonly pictured sea creatures such as turtles, dolphins, fish, or sharks. This storybook, however, features some creatures that may be less familiar to a young child: a hermit crab, starfish, sea horse, and swordfish! Encourage your child to become more familiar with these sea creatures by describing them in detail! A hermit crab will grow out of its shell and explore his surroundings to find a new shell. A starfish can grow new legs if it is hurt. A male seahorse carries the baby seahorses instead of a female. A swordfish has a sword-like bill to use to swipe through schools of smaller fish when hunting. While identifying the creatures, you can also encourage your child to describe the colors he/she sees when looking at the different sea creatures.

Opposite Identification

The illustrator of this storybook, Valeria Petrone, created scenes in which the main character is larger than some of the animals. As the storybook progress, you will notice that the main character becomes smaller while the animals become larger in reference to what a human would look like next to a given animal. Ask your child to identify who is bigger and who is smaller as you read through the book. Don’t be afraid to challenge your child by asking him/her where in the ocean the animal is swimming: up towards the sky or down at the bottom of the sea. This will encourage your child to use his/her inference skills!

Appropriate Social Greetings

As you may notice while listening to Jamie’s song, there is a constant part that includes “hello” and “goodbye.” This is a great opportunity for younger children to practice singing “hello” and “goodbye.” You can also pair a hand motion (wave, fist bump, high five, etc.) when singing “hello” and “goodbye.” Don’t be afraid to take the greetings out of context when the song has become familiar and sing them to your child throughout the day: “Hello, mom! Goodbye, dad!”

We hope you enjoy using this book in your homeschooling adventures! For more resources and activities to use with your children, please visit our “Resources” tab located at the top of the page.

If you are interested in purchasing Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea, click here.

Happy reading!

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