Music Therapy Interventions for
Difficulties with Mathematics
for Individuals with Williams
Syndrome (WS)
-
1
Michigan State University College of Music, Music Education and Music Therapy Departments., United States
This presentation is based on an instrumental case study describing the interactions between a music therapist and three individuals with WS, specifically addressing the relationship between cognition in mathematics and music therapy interventions. Affinity for music is described as the one of the fundamental characteristics across the WS population. Music has been used more as a recreational tool or possibly for vocational purposes in some cases. Difficulty in basic mathematical skills has been documented in WS patients. This inquiry is designed to identify the possibility of using WS patients’ affinity toward music as a strategy for addressing their mathematical difficulties. Based on literature reviews in special education, neuroscience, and WS research, attention problems, lack of strategies, and learned hopelessness appear to magnify the cognitive impairment in individuals with WS. Accordingly, four aspects of music are theorized to be effective in facilitating and expediting the learning process with WS patients: music (a) as a means to gain and maintain attention, (b) used as a learning aid can help with the memorization and retrieval of information, (c) can provide systematic sequence strategies for task accomplishment, and (d) can provide a positive self-statement for alleviating the high frustration levels and learned hopelessness aspects commonly found among the WS population. Approximately 12 weekly meetings with three informants had been conducted. The result indicates that individualized and specialized music therapy interventions for individuals with WS is necessary because of their differences in the manner in which visual and auditory information is processed, and difficulties in mathematics appear to be somewhat overlooked and basic numerical concepts must be mastered before working on addition and subtraction.
Conference:
12th International Professional Conference on Williams Syndrome, Garden Grove,CA, United States, 13 Jul - 14 Jul, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Multidisciplinary Poster Session
Citation:
Kwak
EE
(2009). Music Therapy Interventions for
Difficulties with Mathematics
for Individuals with Williams
Syndrome (WS).
Conference Abstract:
12th International Professional Conference on Williams Syndrome.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.07.047
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Received:
04 May 2009;
Published Online:
04 May 2009.
*
Correspondence:
E. E Kwak, Michigan State University College of Music, Music Education and Music Therapy Departments., East Lansing, United States, kwakeunm@msu.edu