Research has shown that music therapy can be an effective tool for helping patients who have emotional behavioral disorders. Music can be used to help students with social skills, self-esteem, and academic support (Roley, 2017). The IDEA (individuals with disabilities education act) gives five characteristics that describe a child with a severe emotional disturbance:
An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, and health factors
An inability to build or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers
Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems (6).
This diagnosis makes up only about 1% of student populations due to this population being underidentified, underserved, and there not being a clearer understanding of what a severe emotional disturbance means (6). There are many risk factors that make it more likely that a child will develop this disorder and those include: socioeconomic status or demographics, unsafe home and school environment, environmental or psychosocial events (divorce, death, etc), and psychological make-up (7-8). There are many ways that music therapy can not only help students with behavioral and emotional disturbances but also be a tool for managing inappropriate behavior.
Music interventions can help students express emotion, create group association, integrate social organization, symbolize representative beliefs and ideas, and support educational purposes (Parker, 2018). Some different music therapy techniques and approaches that could be useful with this population are the Behavioral Music Therapy Theory, The Bonnie Method of Imagery and Music, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Psychodynamic Music Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Music Therapy (17-20).
Specific interventions that could be used to help work on these students' goals could include “playing an instrument for on task behavior, using a small group setting to allow for interpersonal interactions, teaching turn taking, and sharing space while playing instruments to aid in impulse control” (Roley, 2017). One study by Sausser & Waller worked on 8 different goals: create a structured and safe musical experience for students, establish group cohesion, provide planned sessions to focus on group needs and individuals Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s), Music therapy and Emotional behavioral disorders, 13 facilitate group movement to enhance motor coordination and overall physical fitness, and allow for students to explore personal musical interests (12-13).
Roley states that music therapy can “positively affect social skills in adolescents labeled EBD” (27). The literature showed that group music therapy proved to be most effective as well as improvisational techniques. Roley says that “The final theme re-occurred throughout the literature, which stated the lack of research within the effectiveness of music therapy, within all settings and among all populations. The existing research shows positive effects music therapy can have on patients with mental health needs, especially in children and adolescents with autism” (29). The research points us in the direction of music therapy being an effective tool for the students. However, to continue to advocate for this field and to be able to validate the reasoning behind music therapy with this population, more research needs to be done.
-Sara Demlow, Music Therapy Intern
Roley, A. (2017). Music Therapy in the Treatment of Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorder: A Systematic Review. 1-34.
Parker, F., III. (2018). Music Therapy as a Behavior Modification for Students with Severe Behavior. 1-20.