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An exploration of independent and collaborative music therapy practices in the rehabilitation of young children with acquired communication impairments
Date
2025
Abstract
Acquired communication impairments (ACIs) in childhood can significantly disrupt a child’s language development, hinder social interactions, compromise emotional well-being, and diminish overall quality of life. This multiple methods research explores the use of music therapy to support language and communication in young children with ACIs through five interrelated studies.
Study I is an integrative review of existing literature on music and music therapy interventions on functional outcomes in children with acquired brain injury (ABI). Findings highlight the diverse role of music therapy within paediatric neurorehabilitation, particularly in enhancing motivation and engagement during rehabilitative interventions across functional domains. The review underscores the need for more detailed documentation of music and music therapy interventions, greater knowledge-sharing among researchers, and stronger evidence-building within the field. Additionally, it identifies a significant gap in empirical research, emphasising the need for larger, more rigorous studies to advance the evidence base.
Study II examines the clinical practices of music therapists working with young children with ACIs through a cross-sectional descriptive survey. Survey data reveals significant heterogeneity in approaches, clinical interventions, and outcome measures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and practices of music therapists in this field. Notably, collaborative endeavours with speech and language therapists emerged as the most impactful approach to intervention.
Based on the findings of Study I and Study II, Study III explores the perspectives of music therapists and speech and language therapists on collaborative practices via semi-structed interviews. Clinicians reported that collaboration was often initiated in response to the complexity of paediatric ACIs, with joint sessions providing valuable insights into children’s communicative profiles. Joint interventions were viewed as particularly beneficial for fostering early pre-verbal skills and communicative engagement, foundational for later language development.
Study IV presents a case series of four young children with ACIs who participated in a collaborative music therapy and speech and language therapy programme. Video data documented increased vocal and verbal output, enhanced turn-taking and choice-making, and greater participation in communicative exchanges. The interactive and dynamic nature of joint sessions supported meaningful communicative interactions, facilitating both pre-verbal and emerging verbal communication.
Study V provides a reflective commentary on conducting music therapy research in paediatric neurorehabilitation, addressing key methodological, practical, and ethical challenges. It offers recommendations to overcome these challenges and strengthen the evidence base.
Overall, this thesis suggests that music therapy, particularly in collaboration with speech and language therapy, holds significant potential as a support for language and communication rehabilitation in children with ACIs. However, it emphasises the need for further research to enhance the understanding, application, and evaluation of music therapy in this context.
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Publisher
University of Limerick
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Funding Information
Sustainable Development Goals
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International