Music - A Gateway to Reaching Developmental Processes of Children with Special Needs

Abstract

The scientific and technological advances made in the discoveries of how the body physiologically responds to music have opened new possibilities for the development of therapeutic archetypes to actively channel specific aspects of music to assist in the learning processes of children with special needs. The resulting protocols actively engage the brain through the use of rhythmic entrainment and can have positive outcomes when actively treating issues related to motor, speech/language, and cognition. This paper will show the connection that the structural properties of music can create in a therapeutic environment. The historical perspective of the joining of music and cognition will be briefly discussed, followed by a description of the physiological effect of music on the body. An explanation of techniques and protocols showing how the structural properties of music actively engage the brain is discussed, in addition to specific behavioral techniques utilized for behavior modification.