Proceedings, Oxford, UK (2002) - World Federation of Music Therapy

symptomatic of his condition. Although he clearly deserved to be given
musical instruction, there was little probability of a “Music Child” here.
Changing my approach
Fortuitously, the arrival of J. coincided with my decision to revise my
clinical approach by studying with Dr. Colin Lee, who had the year
before become my successor as Director of the Music Therapy Program
at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Although I had had
many years of clinical experience and extensive work with autistic
persons, including the TEACCH Program out of the University of North
Carolina, most of this was either strictly behavioral or geared more to
special education.
My sessions with Colin were as terrifying as they were challenging.
Looking back, it seems as if it was more that just serendipity that placed
the three of us together in that time and place and under those
circumstances.
Search for the music child
It was hard going for both J. and myself and, I strongly suspect, for Colin
as well. I wanted to use clinical improvisation with J. so I invited Colin
to an early session. He too was challenged. My work with J. became the
laboratory for my new training which consisted of analysis of audiotaped
sessions. We were searching for J’s “Music Child”, if indeed there was
one to be found. However, while I valiantly tried to improve own my
skills to facilitate this goal, J’s goal was very different. He simply
wanted to entertain himself by entertaining me, his audience, with his
551