Promoting Self-Determination In Music Therapy With Individuals With I/DD Who Communicate Extraverbally: Reflections And Implications For Practice

Self-advocacy is important for all individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. In order to work on self-advocacy, skills in self-determination must be established first. Self-determination involves decision-making, choice-making, self-awareness, and acting intentionally. Music therapy may be useful in the promotion of these skills, especially when approached from the perspective of social and affirmative models of disability. In this study, the researcher utilized an action research approach as well as a set of therapeutic guidelines in order to explore the relationship between music therapy and self-determination in individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who communicate extraverbally. Results from this study show the need to address self-determination in music therapy and be reflexive as music therapists on the how power, choices, and engagement shows up in sessions.