Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

violence prevention programme took place in a primary school but was based on a
similar study for bullying prevention for adolescents aged 12 -15 (Beardall, 1998).
Both studies showed that there was a significant decrease in aggressive behaviours in
some cases and the children were able to show greater ability to control disruptive
behaviours, such as instigating fights (Koshland, 2010). However, there were
limitations to the projects and recommendations were made for further exploration of
the use of drama therapy to help decrease violence in schools.
The majority of the research to-date in the other arts therapies has involved groups.
This may be in response to student need but also to pressure from schools when the
benefits of arts therapies for their pupils are recognised but funding is limited. The
research shows that clinicians are increasingly evaluating their work and it is
recognised that there is a need for more research within schools with pupils with a
variety of needs.
2.6 Music therapy in schools I: for adolescents with learning disabilities in
special schools
The practice of music therapy is not uncommon in educational settings in the UK as
approximately 25% of music therapists are employed within schools (Carr and
Wigram, 2009). It is recognised that children and adolescents who have learning
disabilities are more likely to be offered music therapy than those without diagnosis
as there is wider provision in special schools and child development centres. Music
therapy work with children and young people with learning disabilities is well cited in
the literature (Nordoff-Robbins, 1971; Warwick, 1995; Oldfield, 2006a; Howden,
2008; Twyford and Parkhouse, 2008; Tomlinson, 2010). There is extensive anecdotal
literature concerning children and young people with Autism and Asperger’s
Syndrome (Storey, 1998; Woodward, 1999; Loi, 2010; Tomlinson, 2010) and
literature about work with severely learning-disabled adolescents (Strange, 1999 and
2012; Nicholls, 2002; Jones, 2008).
Robbins and Robbins (1991) worked as a team in a special school following their
own Creative Music Therapy approach, originally developed in 1977. Their approach
helps the severely disabled child to develop a musical response and be motivated to
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