Children's physiotherapist Claire Ogilvie says music therapy is 'essential' during week of events

Claire Ogilvie, a physiotherapist working with children with complex needs, is supporting World Music Therapy Week, which runs from 10-15 April. It is the first time that music therapists  – who, like physiotherapists, are defined as allied health professionals – have held a special week to celebrate their contribution.

Various events are taking place in hospitals in the UK, as well as educational and social settings, during the week, and the British Association of Music Therapy (BAMT) is issuing regular updates to highlight them.

Having a music therapy service is essential when working with children who have severe and complex needs, especially our youngest learners with autism

In a tweet released yesterday (12 April), Claire said: ‘Having a music therapy service to refer to is essential when working with children who have severe and complex needs, especially our youngest learners with autism whose interaction with us is often starting at the most basic level.

‘For these learners, music therapy is as important as any other part of their curriculum as it offers the therapist, the teacher and the learner a safe space to encourage engagement and the beginnings of communication via a musical version of intensive interaction in which they learn to reciprocate and after a few sessions initiate.

‘Our learners quickly learn to associate music therapy time as a creative, safe space from which to begin to explore: the room, the instruments and their relationships with us.

Claire added that music therapy is an 'essential part of our curriculum and is hugely valued by learners, teachers, additional needs assistants and parents and carers'. 

Music therapists use the power of music to help people deal with feelings they cannot put into words [BAMT]

Other AHPs voicing their support for music therapy this week include occupational therapist Kim Smail and speech and language therapist Jade Nelson Duncan.

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is a psychological therapy which uses the unique qualities of music as a means of interaction between therapist and client.

Attentive listening on the part of the therapist is combined with shared musical improvisation using instruments and voices so that people can communicate in their own musical language, whatever their level of ability. 

Twitter: @musictherapyuk

Find out more about Music Therapists  'Music therapists use the power of music to help people deal with feelings they cannot put into words' [Source: NHS]