Music Therapy and Selective Mutism feasibility study 2023
Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder that can affect children when they begin school. The typical presentation is a lack of speech in educational settings, contrasting with confident speech at home.
Music Therapy and Selective Mutism
There is evidence demonstrating the potential music therapy can provide as an accessible and engaging intervention for young children with Selective Mutism, particularly but not only for second language learners. Case study research describes music therapy leading to generalised speech but an evidence-based, manualised approach is currently lacking.
Aims
This feasibility study aims to:
- bring the research to a wider audience of professionals and parents for debate and collaboration.
- develop and evaluate a manual guiding music therapy for young children with Selective Mutism in school settings in order that we can apply for funding for a randomized controlled trial.
Stage 1
A series of workshops with professionals and parents to get their immediate thoughts and impressions and any advice, comments or concerns on what could be changed, improved or included in the blueprint of the manual. Next, a draft manual will be produced including training and guidance for music therapists.
Stage 2
Music therapists will be trained and provide music therapy for children with Selective Mutism in inner-London schools using the draft manual to see how useful it is and to assess parents’ and school staff’s perception of the intervention.
Data will be used to refine and produce a final version of the manual, through iterative discussion with the research team.
Who we are
The project is led by Dr Kate Jones. Kate has a PhD in the use of music therapy for young children with Selective Mutism and a research post at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Anita McKiernan, lead consultant for this project, is a Highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist & Chair of the National Selective Mutism Clinical Excellence Network (SMCEN)
For any further information about the project please contact: kate.jones@gsmd.ac.uk
A pre-print copy of the research paper is available here
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