ABSTRACT

Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities explores how music therapists work in partnership with people with learning disabilities to encourage independence and empowerment and to address a wide variety of everyday issues and difficulties.

Comprehensive and wide-ranging, this book describes in detail the role and work of the music therapist with adults with learning disabilities. Many clinical examples are used, including casework with people with autism, asperger’s syndrome, profound and multiple learning disabilities and a dual diagnosis of learning disability and mental health problems. The book also explores issues of team work and collaborative working, considering how music therapists and their colleagues can best work together. The chapters are grouped into four sections; an introduction to current music therapy work and policy in the area, clinical work with individuals, clinical work with groups, and collaborative and team work. Guidelines for good practice are also provided.

This is a thought-provoking and topical text for all those involved in work with adults with learning disabilities; it is essential reading for music therapists and fellow professionals, carers, policy makers and students.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

chapter Chapter 1|13 pages

Valuing people

A new framework

chapter Chapter 2|15 pages

Music therapy with adults with learning disabilities

Sharing stories

chapter Chapter 4|11 pages

Challenging behaviour

Working with the blindingly obvious

chapter Chapter 5|13 pages

‘What bit of my head is talking now?'

Music therapy with people with learning disabilities and mental illness

chapter Chapter 6|14 pages

Friendship and group work

chapter Chapter 9|9 pages

Looking in from the outside

Communicating effectively about music therapy work