There is a rapidly emerging and developing area of music therapy practice that uses electronic music technologies in a range of therapeutic and clinical settings to help clients with complex needs. This edited volume explains cutting edge technologies and how to apply these tools in practice. With contributions from leading experts in the field, the book takes the reader through the equipment that is available including computer-based software; electronic devices which produce musical sounds with minimal movement or skill; assistive devices such as switches and sensors; and recording and listening equipment. Clinical case studies are then offered that show these technologies being used successfully with a broad range of child and adult populations, including those with visual impairments, autism spectrum disorders, medical needs, physical challenges, and mental health issues, and within a variety of settings, including a neonatal intensive care unit, schools, hospital environments, and palliative care settings. The final section looks toward the future and examines philosophical and theoretical perspectives on the use of technology and its relationship to aesthetics, gender and identity. This book will be a key resource for all music therapists, special needs educators, and professionals from the field of assistive technology, as well as allied health professionals such as occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Increasingly, music therapy is being practised as an intervention in medical and special educational settings. Focusing on clinical work with developmental disability, paediatrics and neurology, this book informs music therapists through case studies and analyses of theory and practice. The contributors are specialised music therapists who have worked with premature infants in intensive care, children with physical and learning disabilities, children with autism, emotionally disturbed teenagers and adults with neurological illnesses. They describe and explain the planning and evaluation of music therapy intervention, how music therapy can be used for assessing complex organic and emotional disabilities, and aspects of supervision for the professional music therapist. Reflecting on and developing the applications of music therapy, this collection will help establish effective therapy methods in which the creative use of music is employed by skilled and clinically experienced music therapists in a client-oriented interactive process. Clinical Applications of Music Therapy in Psychiatry, & Clinical Applications of Music Therapy in Developmental Disability, Paediatrics and Neurology 2 volume set