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

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and behaviors such as spinning around. Ben used the Picture Exchange Communication
System (PECS) (Bondy & Frost, 1994), and was beginning to develop some functional
speech. He had difficulties settling into play activities. His play involved mostly exploring
and manipulating toys, and simple interactive games initiated by familiar adults. Ben was
able to express emotions and show affections. He indicated joy and happiness through
smiling, vocalization, jumping, or spinning around, discontent through crying, pushing an
item away, or turning away from a person. Ben had limited interest in peers and was more
social with familiar adults. Social peer interaction only occurred when supported by adults in
structured play activities. Peers seemed not to take notice of him. Ben received
speech/language and occupational therapy services while in the classroom, and engaged in a
designed home program.
Transitions and changes in routines were somewhat difficult for Ben. The transition
from his caretaker (most frequently his nanny) to the classroom teachers caused great
difficulties every morning. The difficulty Ben had during the morning greeting time
transition was characterized by holding on to his caretaker, whining to intensive crying or
screaming for a long period of time (between five and 25 minutes), ignoring the efforts of his
classroom teachers’ greeting and play offers, stiffening his body, pulling teacher’s hair, or
wetting his pants.
Ben was very interested in actions that accompany familiar songs. He preferred
listening to selected music (e.g., “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”), playing computer games, or