Using a Music Therapy Collaborative Consultative Approach - World ...

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model. The philosophy of the project was based on a synthesis of current practice and
research-based knowledge in early childhood education, early intervention for young
children with disabilities, and specific strategies developed for children with autism and their
families. The design of the Autism Project was a cooperative venture between the FPG Child
Development Institute and the Division TEACCH of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. The University’s Division of Speech-Hearing Sciences and Division of
Occupational Therapy provided additional support and consultation. Two components were
important to the project: (1) the classroom component: inclusion of two and three year old
children with autism, use of individualized and structured teaching, establishment of
predictable routines and schedules, the use of integrated therapy; and (2) the family support
component: regular communication and home visits, and adherence to family centered
practices. The Early Intervention Program of the State of North Carolina funded this project.
Because the children identified for this study participated in the Autism Project, the
music therapy interventions attempted to follow parts of the projects’ conceptual design. As
such, the interventions were undertaken in inclusive classrooms using the integrated therapy
approach. Specific goals, strategies and procedures were individualized for each target child,
and predictable routines, structured teaching, and visual cues were taken into consideration in
the interventions’ design. In addition, parents and caregivers were partly included in the
intervention and supported through frequent communication.
The target children were diagnosed with ASD by external agencies using the
Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule