Did you catch Part 1 in my series on Music Therapy + Sensory Integration?

In it I showcased a video of me utilizing the therapy ball in my music therapy session with a self-contained class of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)! I am using the therapy ball to provide proprioceptive and vestibular input to the children while the music is organizing the whole experience.

Catch up on that video here!

Today I am sharing a video that incorporates music, a book, a drum, and paintbrushes. Click here to watch what it’s all about:

The purpose of this activity is to provide tactile stimulation to the children as they get “painted” by the paintbrushes. Some of the children in this class were extremely tactile defensive at the beginning of the year.

But as we gradually introduced this kind of stimulation in small amounts, the children became more tolerant of it.

In this experience, in addition to providing tactile stimulation with the paint brushes, we are also working on identifying body parts and expressive language (“open the book!”)

Notice how I’m using the drum to accompany myself? The guitar is too over stimulating for this class, so I usually sing a cappella or accompany myself with a small egg shaker or drum.

The book I used in this activity is called “I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More” by Karen Beaumont.

Now I want to hear from YOU! How do you incoroprate sensory integration into your music therapy sessions?

Be sure to check out the Sensational Songs & Activities E-Book for more sensory ideas, sheet music, & themed session plans