Effect of Family’s Engagement in Music Therapy Early Intervention: A Literature Review

In early intervention programs, research has established the positive effect music therapy has on children with disabilities’ ability to engage in environment more effectively. Also, family engagement is noted to benefit the music therapy process in early intervention. This thesis describes developmental disabilities in early childhood stages, and the relationships between music therapy and parent-child engagement. Music applied as an intervention helps the development of cognitive skills, language skills, social-pragmatic skills, and social-behavior skills (Greenspan, 2006). Sensory stimulations, caregivers’ attention and response, nonverbal stimulations and communications skills from caregivers affect children’s developmental stages. Six stages of floortime are used to engage the therapists, children, and parents in the intervention process. In this thesis, the parent-child interventions in music therapy for prenatal period, premature infants, rehabilitative period, and children with emotional/physical disorders are discussed. In this literature review I conclude that parent-child musical interventions has positive effects on children’s development