The Impact of Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability on Music Therapy Practica Students

A variety of factors affect the success of music therapy students in practica. Many music therapy students may have invisible illnesses or invisible disabilities (II/ID) that affect their work. II/ID have physical or psychological effects but are not apparent to an observer. Such illnesses may include chronic illnesses, mental illnesses, and developmental disabilities. Although researchers have studied the success of post-secondary students with II/ID and the success of music therapy students without II/ID, there is a lack of research on music therapy students who identify with having II/ID. This researcher used an exploratory online survey to investigate the prevalence of II/ID among music therapy students and how it may affect their success in music therapy practica. Quantitative responses were compiled and analyzed into frequencies and percentages, and open-ended responses were coded and analyzed for patterns and themes. Results indicated that music therapy students with II/ID have various reasons for disclosure or nondisclosure. Some music therapy students with II/ID required accommodations, while many did not. Additionally, the effects of II/ID on music therapy practica students included physical, psychosocial, and cognitive symptoms, which led to various choices for disclosure/nondisclosure and the request/use of individualized accommodations. Music therapy students with II/ID self-reported that making decisions regarding appropriate disclosure and determining their need for accommodations or not allowed them to be more successful in practica.