Hello!! I am back from a holiday hiatus! The spring semester is in full swing, and it's a long ride until Summer! But take heart! YOU are making a difference! YOU are changing lives! YOU are are bringing out the best in students, teachers and staff!
Today I want to take the chance to remind you of some resources the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) has available that specifically benefit us - MT's in SPED! We'll start with Fact Sheets! For the new music therapist, or MT new to the population, Fact Sheets are a great way to get a better understanding of a diagnosis, population, interventions and a snapshot of current research. For the veteran music therapist, they are a great resource to support your current effectiveness, advocate for increased services, or to bring to an IEP or ARD meeting to help inform families or other educational staff of your role! Like this new Fact Sheet: Music Therapy and Spectrum Disorders, for instance.
Or this document Special Education: Music Therapy Research and Evidenced-Based Practice Support, which specifically addresses the validity and reliability of our practice by providing definitions, information on standardization, repilcation and outcomes as well as an overview of music therapy research relating to special education.
There are also simpler Fact Sheets like this one Music Therapy and Special Education that just give a great overview - useful for explaining the basics of what we do in special education and the laws that both protect our students and justify our services!
There are other fact sheets for broader populations, like Music Therapy and Young Children, that overlap with special education. This one gives a case study and quotes from other professionals and families, for a different perspecitve.
AMTA offers access to all of these resources FREE OF COST!! They also offer membership perks including the latest research through journals, assistance with employment issues, guidance and materials for employers, discounts for conferences (one of my favorites!) and even access to the AMTA Tech Stop to answer your technology questions! These tangible resources are WELL worth the $250 cost of annual membership. More importantly though, to maintain, update and continue to provide these resources that advocate for OUR jobs, support OUR effectiveness, and improve OUR best-practice AMTA needs OUR help! To join AMTA or renew your membership for 2016, simply visit their online store and be part of the continued growth of our profession! #WeAreAMTA
Until next time! EnJOY!
<3 Patina Joy
Comments