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School Settings

My career in music education taught me that while all children love music, they don't all learn the same way. I transitioned to music therapy to move beyond the classroom and provide the deeply individualized, adaptive support that helps children fully express themselves and thrive. Music Therapy on a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a powerful tool for supporting a child's holistic development. It is used to strengthen cognitive skills like memory and sequencing, improve behavior regulation and focus, enhance physical and communication abilities, and build essential daily living skills. I guide parents and caregivers in understanding how Music Therapy services can support their child's IEP goals.

Three young girls playing musical instruments together indoors.

Music Therapy examples to meet common therapeutic goals

Cognitive

Social skills and experiences

Communication

The student learns to match the therapist's changing drum dynamics and speeds, 

which builds better inhibitory control and attention.

Communication

Social skills and experiences

Communication

The music therapist sings a familiar song, stopping abruptly to allow the student 

to fill in a missing word, noun, or sound, which encourages expressive language, 

speech production, and social anticipation.

Social skills and experiences

Social skills and experiences

Social skills and experiences

The music therapist composes a song with the student that encourages him to say hello 

and shake hands or wave to peers to build social confidence.

Fine and gross motor skills

Fine and gross motor skills

Social skills and experiences

The student holds a mallet and improvises on a xylophone to foster grasp-patterns 

and hand coordination, or taps a drum placed at different heights to encourage purposeful movement. 

Academic skills

Fine and gross motor skills

Emotional Expression

The music therapist uses song creation and music-assisted learning to help students in subjects like math, science, and reading.

Emotional Expression

Fine and gross motor skills

Emotional Expression

The student plays music instruments to develop healthy outlets for emotional regulation and expression.

Copyright © 2026 Karen Mattera - Music Therapy & Wellness, LLC - All Rights Reserved.

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