This presentation outlines the journey of creating a new group program for preschool aged children and their caregivers to address goals for speech, social and communication development. The children included in the group have developmental concerns including autism and global developmental delays. Previous music groups in our setting focused on a wide range of developmental areas, however many children required an increased focus on their communication and social skills. The goal of the group was to implement strategies from the clinical skills of the registered music therapist and speech pathologist and combine these to achieve positive developmental outcomes, to support increased peer interactions, and to improve caregiver confidence to support their child’s development beyond the clinic.
Each week, we choose a unique theme and curate stories and music to align with that theme. Our sessions are structured to blend music and speech activities seamlessly. This includes exercises designed to help the children learn and practice express their ideas and choices using speech and other tools, such as picture symbols and key word signs, as well as activities that encourage communication and collaboration to complete assigned tasks. Each session aims to provide a holistic experience that fosters cognitive development in a fun and engaging environment.
This group is recommended for children who are already receiving 1:1 sessions with a music therapist or speech pathologist, providing them with opportunities to continue their journey and practice social and negotiation skills with their peers. Children who did not currently receive music therapy or speech pathology sessions were pre-assessed by one of the therapists prior to commencing in the group.
The group was evaluated by collecting pre- and post- group survey data from caregivers. This will be discussed in terms of future group planning and evidence of the group’s effectiveness for supporting communication and social development.
In conclusion, this presentation outlines our journey in creating a collaborative program for children with language delays. This group program combines music therapy and speech pathology to address language delays and improve social skills. We are committed to ongoing improvement by gathering parent feedback and tracking each child's progress. Additionally, we are partnering with the University for research to refine and advance the program further.