Are you still humming “It’s always better when we’re together?”

That’s the theme of last week’s blog post and this week’s blog post: how to make the most of your collaborations with other professionals.

I love, love, LOVE co-treating with other therapists – speech language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs) and ABA therapists.

I have grown so much by co-treating with these professionals. And, my clients have benefitted from us all providing an integrated team approach.

Check out these videos demonstrating sensory integration techniques that I learned from co-treating with an OT at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Miami.

You can see examples of how to provide vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile stimulation. You can watch examples of how to incorporate the therapy ball into your music therapy sessions, paint brushes, gathering drum and even the trampoline (my clients’ favorite!)

What are some tips on approaching collaboration with other therapists? Here are a few ideas I have to get your started:

1. Explain your goals in non-musical terms

As music therapists, we know our clients are not “just” singing a fun song, they’re practicing clear articulation of bilabial sounds. We know our clients aren’t “just” playing the drums, they’re working on bilateral coordination and receiving tactile input every time their hand hits the drum. Be clear about the non-musical goals you’re addressing, and speak in terms that the other therapists are using.

2.Learn their goals

When you’re working with the same client as another therapist, ask to see a copy of their evaluation report and progress notes. Take a look at the goals and objectives, so you can see how you could potentially target those goals or similar goals in your sessions. I recently heard from a parent who said their child had reached a plateau in speech therapy. The child’s music therapist spoke with the SLP about the speech therapy goals, one of which was to speak 3-4 word utterances. The music therapist brought in a singable story (a song paired with the book “From Head to Toe”), which encouraged the child to sing, then chant, and then say the phrase “I can do it!” multiple times throughout the story.

3. Work together

Set up a time to discuss how you can collaborate. I had the opportunity to co-treat with SLPs, OTs and PTs when I worked at UCP and it was amazing. We worked together in both individual and group settings. If you don’t have that option where you work, set up a time to chat on the phone. You can share some techniques that may work in their sessions and hear what they’re working on in their sessions.

I truly believe it’s better when we all work together.

Now I’d love to hear from you!

Do you co-treat with other therapists? Leave a comment below and let us know how you work together and how it’s benefitted your clients.

The post Making the Most of Professional Collaborations (Part 2 – with therapists) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

One thing I’ve learned in my fourteen years as a music therapist is that it is better when we work together.

Cue Jack Johnson singing “it’s always better when we’re together.”

One of my favorite parts about working in a school setting is co-treating with other professionals.

I have learned a tremendous amount from co-treating with other therapists and working closely with teachers and paraprofessionals.

Today and next week, I’ll be sharing some simple tips to ensure a smooth collaboration with other professionals so your clients can receive the maximum benefit from your sessions.

To start, here are some simple tips when working with teachers and paraprofessionals:

1. Meet with them before your sessions begin

If possible, try to visit teachers in the morning before students arrive. You can chat with them about what they’re working on in their classroom and how you could potentially target some of those concepts in your sessions. For a few examples:

Watch this video to see how I worked on math concepts with a student in individual music therapy.

Watch this video to see how I worked on mixing colors using a singable story during group music therapy.

(All the Academic Concept videos are HERE.)

2. During your group sessions, ask and encourage them to participate

Some teachers and paraprofessionals may not want to “step on your toes” since you’re the group leader. If you want their participation, be sure to ask for and encourage it. From experience I’ll tell you it’s a lot more fun and motivating for the students if they see the teachers singing and waving their scarves too!

3. Be specific about the kind of help you need

In group sessions, some students require hand over hand assistance to participate. Ask the teacher to assist the student during a movement activity by moving their arms up and down to the music.

Some students need support to stay in the group during the session. You can ask the teacher to sit next to that student and ensure he or she doesn’t try to run away.

4. Get their feedback

After the session, ask if the teacher has any feedback or suggestions for ways to make the session more effective. I’ve been a music therapist working in various settings for what seems like a long time. To this day, I still ask for feedback and ideas from teachers and I believe we should all continue to do this so our students can receive the best service we can offer.

What suggestions do you have for working with teachers and paraprofessionals?

Stay tuned next week when I share ideas for co-treating with other therapists (one of my favorite things to do!)

The post Making The Most Of Professional Collaborations (Part 1- with teachers) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.