Chit Chat in B Flat

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Chit Chat in B Flat

• A Joint Music Therapy and Speech and Language
  Therapy Group
• Elinor Everitt and Alison Webb
• alisongail.webb_at_virgin.net

2
Introduction

• This was a group for 4 AAC users which we ran
  during the academic year 2007-8, in a Special
  School for children with severe learning
  difficulties in Cambridgeshire .
• The children selected were AAC users, who each
  had a VOCA and who had received group SALT for 2
  previous years, focusing on them using their
  aids, but motivation had been a challenge in the
  past for some of the AAC users.
• We wanted to explore whether music would
  motivate them to use their aids more
  spontaneously.

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Reasons for starting the group

• Money - Pilot Project could run using Specialist
  School Status funding
• Shared caseload and waiting lists
• CPD Elinor wanted to know more using AAC and
  VOCAs and I wanted to build on my music training
• New approach motivation was an issue with the
  AAC users in other groups
• Would the musical element be more effective in
  promoting communication than SALT alone?

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The group

• The staff
• Elinor Everitt Music Therapist
• Alison Webb Speech and Language Therapist
• Classroom Teaching assistant (varied from week to
  week)

• The Students
• Becky 12yrs. ASD. Using Dynamyte 3100
• Danny 13 yrs Angelmanns syndrome. Using
  Dynamyte 3100
• Alex -14 yrs ASD. Using Dynamyte 3100
• Jonathan -15 yrs ASD. Using Vantage

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How we ran the group

• We tried to balance the content between
  communication through their aids, or through
  music.
• The SALT was responsible for ensuring that low
  tech alternatives, such as symbol charts were
  available the necessary vocabulary was
  programmed onto the aids and demonstrating and
  assisting the students in using the aids.
• The MT was responsible for writing specific songs
  for the targeted vocabulary providing the
  musical structure, using improvisation and
  musical accompaniment and interpreting and
  developing the students musical contributions.
• A TA attended each session to support and enable
  the students to transfer their learning to the
  classroom.

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Aims

• To give the students a fun experience while using
  their communication aids
• To encourage their use of communication aids
  develop vocabulary and sentence structure
• To teach them to control their environment using
  aids
• To interact with their peers while using their
  aids
• To encourage spontaneity and interaction
• To enable non verbal self expression through music

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Format of the group

• The group was held at the same time each week in
  the Music Therapy Room.
• The length of the session increased from 25
  minutes to 45 minutes, as the students adapted to
  the group.
• We had 15 minutes after each session to evaluate
  the session, write individual student records and
  plan for the following session.

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Sample session

• Hello song
• Favourites song
• Stop/go
• Pairs - Students share an instrument with an
  adult and improvise together
• Choosing instruments
• Goodbye song

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How we developed the activities

• Hello song - hello name on VOCA
• Shopping theme song new vocabulary, e.g.
  toiletries, and sentence structure I buy
• Choosing instruments - I want ____ Students can
  then choose to play in a loud/quiet manner

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Evaluation

• The students used their aids spontaneously, and
  discovered new vocabulary. It helped us identify
  difficulties in understanding concepts.
• Throughout the sessions, the students used their
  aids to make requests, comment, choose and
  instruct their peers.
• They seemed to respond using their aids quicker
  than in a non-musical AAC activity.
• Their group awareness increased, for example,
  they watched each other carefully and listened to
  their peers and responded to what was said on the
  aid.
• The students perceived the session as fun, rather
  than work, and this is invaluable in increasing
  the different contexts in which they use their
  aids. The group has offered them another
  experience in which to use their aids.
• Musical games encouraged interaction between
  peers for example, choosing whose turn it was
  next (this also developed turn-taking, listening,
  waiting and sharing skills) telling a peer when
  to start and stop playing, or to play loudly or
  quietly.
• For most of the students this has been an
  enjoyable experience, with them clearly showing
  excitement, pleasure and anticipation of an
  activity.

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Case Study - Becky

• Navigates around new VOCA and finds vocabulary
• Uses longer sentences without prompting,
  particularly those sentence structures that have
  been modelled.
• She has asked spontaneously where the other
  students were, and has expressed emotions feel
  sad, given information.
• She understands the structure of the group, and
  anticipates the next activity.
• She has shown enjoyment of the musical activities

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The Future

• We have both learnt new skills, that can be
  transferred to working with other students in the
  school, and other clients. We also feel that
  individually we could sustain similar groups
  without the support of the other therapist for a
  short period, which is more cost effective.
• We cannot say that music is the best medium to
  foster communication skills, but we both feel
  that it has been a positive experience for
  students and therapists alike. The students
  communication and interaction skills have
  developed however we cannot prove that the
  joint working or music has been the reason.