Complementary Therapies Music Therapy Links

The American Music Therapy Association The mission of the American Music Therapy Association is to advance public awareness of the benefits of music therapy.

Auditory Integration Training or AIT "... was developed by Dr. Guy Berard, a practicing otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat or ENT physician) in France. Dr. Berard originally invented AIT to rehabilitate disorders of the auditory system, such as hearing loss or hearing distortion (hyper-acute or asymmetrical hearing)."

During Auditory Integration Training, music from a stereo system (i.e., CD or cassette player) is sent through a specialized electronic device. The electronic device randomizes and filters the frequencies from the music source and sends these modified sounds into the trainee's ears through a set of headphones.This training is appropriate for children with ASD, APDs, Learning Disablities and other conditions. See the website for more information.

The British Society for Music Therapy

The Canadian Association for Music Therapy

Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) - This therapy involves speaking in a type of musical manner, characterized by strong melodic and temporal components. Children with apraxia of speech benefit from this therapy according to a study done by Kathleen Helfrich-Miller (1994).

Interactive Metronome - is " training program that can accurately measure and systematically improve a person's timing. IM is training technology for motor planning, sequencing, and timing. The therapy improves the mind's timing and sequencing by forcing the brain to think about keeping the rhythm.

A controlled study of 9 to 12 years old boys diagnosed with ADHD, found those undergoing the IM training program showed significant patterns of improvement in attention, coordination, control of aggression/impulsivity, reading and language processing. This study was published in The March/April 2001 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy."

Prelude Music Therapy - "Serves children and adults with special needs through sharing information; creating and publishing music therapy strategies; and giving workshops and presentations to professionals, parents, and students."

Integrating Music, Language and the Voice in Music therapy from Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy

"The use of spoken language is one of the most uniquely human parameters that differentiate one human being from another. The words we choose and the musical qualities that we use to express our words are based on a broad spectrum of functioning. This includes our brain and neurological functioning, our emotions and ego state, our intellectual and historic use of cognitive processes and the cultural realm of our existence.

Although there has been a fair amount of research and clinical practice related to neurological music therapy, speech production within a musical context and music psychotherapeutic voice work, we rarely find these practices intertwined. The following article provides history, rationale, definition of practice and theory that provides strong backing for the integration of the models and approaches currently available to music therapists."

SAMONAS Sound Therapy   SAMONAS is an acronym for "Spectral Activated Music of Optimal Natural Structure". 
This identifies a new procedure for spectrally activating sounds used in the production of all recorded media for Sound Therapy. "The therapeutical applications of SAMONAS Sound Therapy have been practised for many years. It affects the brain and nervous system directly through the sense of hearing and can be used to improve hearing. It can be used to improve psychological and physical conditions such as hearing, learning difficulties, voice problems and behavioural disturbances which are causally associated with the area of acoustic perception. Some problems, especially by Tinnitus and stress are helped by listening to the CDs."

Tomatis Listening Therapy - French physician Dr. Albert A.Tomatis discovered a relationship between listening and learning. According to medical studies, he found that the music has a profound effect on the human mind, body, and spirit. Children with ADD, ASD, dyslexia, disfluency and other conditions respond very well to Tomatis listening therapy.

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