Program and Module Rationale(Enrolment 09 update)

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE IN MUSIC THERAPY
(Children with Special Needs)

 All modules to be instructed by : Mr. Pang Ka Wa, Paul
Registered Music Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapist

1. Program rationale

This is a program tailor made for people who would like to master the techniques of music in therapy and implement them in special education and rehabilitation facilities in Hong Kong. The knowledge and skills instructed are excellent for self-development and career advancement. Though the teaching material included primarily focuses on the use of music for children with special needs, the principles and techniques could be well adapted to other populations such as geriatrics, mentally ill as well as hospital patients.

Mr. Pang has put together therapeutic techniques, activity implementing skills and music repertoire that are fully localized. All of these have been truly adapted and clinically tested in local settings. In another word, the program would be truly “plug and play” for educational and rehabilitation settings in Hong Kong. Owing to this fact, no foreign and local music therapy program could come near to it's adaptability and practical value for the Cantonese population.

The captioned program consists of 84 hours of instruction and 14 hours on-site practicum work spreading over a 12-month period. Lectures and instructions would be conducted in a part-time evening basis with one meeting per week. We would adopt a small-class instruction format with no more than 15 people per class for most of the modules. The program would be well paced to ensure that instructional materials could be well simulated in time of graduation.

This is a program that aims at skill mastery, it means that the attendants would be able to master and implement therapy with music independently upon graduation. Therefore, we have placed emphasis in music skill acquisition and in-class and on-site practicum works in the program.

2. Module rationale

  • Module 1: Music Therapy & Children with Special Needs (2 hours x 6 meetings =12 hours)
    　　This module and Module 4 are two basic modules that address the most essential knowledge in applying Behavioral Music Therapy to children with special needs. Module 1 is theory oriented, whereas, Module 4 is practical focused.

  • Module 2: Guitar (1.25 hours x 8 meetings = 10 hours)
    　　Guitar is the most convenient and versatile instrument in music therapy especially in the use for CSN. It is preferred over the keyboard in Behavioral Music Therapy for children because of it's portability. It is also one of the few instruments existed that can play melody and accompaniment at the same time. Upon completion of the module, attendants would be able to use the guitar in a basic and practical way including playing kid and pop song accompaniment.

  • Module 3: Djembe (African drum) and Percussion (1.25 hours x 4 meetings = 5 hours)
    　　Mastering the use of rhythm is essential in applying music in therapy because rhythm making regulates motor activity and enhances cognitive functions. African drumming and percussion playing are excellent media for rhythm execution and improvisation. As drumming (in form of drum circle and group drumming) is getting popular in Hong Kong, drumming is becoming a fundamental skill for a music therapist in these days.

　　　　　We deliberately place Module 2 and 3 early in the program to allow more time for skill mastery.

  • Module 4: Music Therapy & Children with Special Needs – Practicum course (2 hours x 6 meetings =12 hours)

  • Module 5: Music Activity Repertoire and Accompaniment Skills (2 hours x 6 meetings =12 hours)
    　　 This module presents a wide array of music activities suitable for CSN in achieving various therapeutic objectives. It is designed to build song and activity repertoire to be used in music therapy. As successful therapy does not only depend on techniques, it requires a sufficient number of ready-to-use activities and songs at hand.

  • Module 6: Case analysis and Assessment (2 hours x 5 meetings =10 hours)
    　　 Case analysis is intended to sharpen awareness within a therapeutic process. It is important for the attendants to understand and articulate the process before therapeutic procedures could be established. Assessment is an essential skill in treatment to allow the documentation of progress.

  • Module 7: Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) (2 hours x 5 meetings =10 hours)
    　　 NMT is an advance music therapy discipline with application for people with neurological impairments such as cerebral palsy, autism and mental retardation. It is an evidenced based treatment system with standardized procedures for speech, motor and cognitive rehabilitation.

  • Module 8: On-site Practicum (14 hours)
    　　 This module is skill mastery at its final stage. On-site Practicum allows the attendants to practice what has been learned in real life therapeutic situation. Not only would they be allowed to work with CSN, the arranged site would provide a work environment that is common in Hong Kong. In another other word, all attendants are both equipped and ready upon graduation.

  • Module 9: Practicum briefing and feedback sessions (15 hours)
    　　The feedback sessions are on-going supervision of Module 8. It would ensure the quality of the practice and provide feedback to help solve problems encountered during practicum. Feedback and discussion would allow for learning from each other and, consequently, would enrich and consolidate the whole learning process.
  
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