Music therapy assessment for children with developmental disabilities: a survey study

The purpose of this study was to survey music therapists working with children with developmental disabilities to examine and describe the following: (a) the major skill areas and subcategories most frequently assessed, (b) how these areas are assessed, (c) the common features of their current assessment tools, (d) the positive and/or negative aspects of their current assessment tools, and (e) the 3 most important features desired in a standardized music therapy assessment for use in their clinical practice. Of the 207 respondents who expressed interest in completing a music therapy assessment survey in a pilot study, 108 surveys were returned for a 52% return rate; 95 (46%) were used as data for this study. The respondents most frequently assessed the following major skill areas: Motor (95%), Communication (83%), Social (79%), Cognitive (64%), and Music (35%). Of the 34 (36%) respondents who enclosed an actual assessment form with their survey, 100% require data collection through behavior observation. Respondents most frequently noted the following positive aspects of their forms: Thorough (34%), Individualized (26%), and Easy to Use (26%), and the following negative aspects of their forms: Subjective (28%), Limiting (26%), and Time Consuming (22%). The 3 most commonly desired features of a standardized assessment were the following: Easy to Use (23%), Comprehensive (19%), and Adaptable (13%).