Grace Thompson - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Grace Thompson

Research paper thumbnail of “It’s Not What’s Done, But Why It’s Done”

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy

This position paper offers our personal reflections as five music therapists from varying social ... more This position paper offers our personal reflections as five music therapists from varying social and international contexts attempting to understand and engage with the theory, politics and implications of the Neurodiversity Movement. We begin by positioning our views on the importance of the therapist’s intentionality when working with individuals for whom this social, cultural and political movement may represent central beliefs and values. The evolution of the Neurodiversity Movement is discussed, growing from the social model of disability and Disability Rights Movements to present a challenge to the dominant, medicalised model of disability. Throughout the paper, we invite critical debate around the role, position and attitude of the music therapist when working with neurodivergent participants, taking the powerful words of Autistic author and activist, Penni Winter, as our provocation. Finally, we offer our interpretation of key concepts and dimensions of this discourse, befor...

Research paper thumbnail of Reflecting on relational needs in the context of a global health crisis

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy

Research paper thumbnail of Music Therapists’ Perceptions of the Therapeutic Potentials Using Music When Working With Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Qualitative Analysis

Journal of Music Therapy

While there are numerous descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential by music ... more While there are numerous descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential by music therapists working with nonverbal children on the autism spectrum, only limited literature focuses on exploring how music therapists use music and perceive its therapeutic potential when working with children on the spectrum who have verbal skills. This qualitative study aimed to explore music therapists’ descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential in their work with children on the autism spectrum who have verbal skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six qualified music therapists from Israel and then analyzed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three main themes were identified: (a) musical infrastructure, which describes how the music therapists facilitated musical experiences to support the children’s ability to regulate their arousal, attention and emotions; (b) the meeting point between musical and verba...

Research paper thumbnail of Reliability of the Music in Everyday Life (MEL) Scale: A Parent-Report Assessment for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Research paper thumbnail of Supporting positive parenting practices within a community‐based music therapy group program: Pilot study findings

Journal of Community Psychology

Research paper thumbnail of The ‘Music Therapy with Families Network’: Creating a community of practice via social media

British Journal of Music Therapy

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Interpretive Synthesis of the Ways Children's Needs and Capacities are Represented in the Homelessness and Family Violence Literature

Children Australia

This paper describes a critical interpretive synthesis (critical review of the literature) explor... more This paper describes a critical interpretive synthesis (critical review of the literature) exploring the ways children are described and represented in the homelessness and family violence literature regarding programmes.…

Research paper thumbnail of Tracing the temporal stability of autism spectrum diagnosis and severity as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PLOS ONE

Background Exploring ways to improve the trajectory and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is p... more Background Exploring ways to improve the trajectory and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is prevalent in research, but less is known about the natural prognosis of autism spectrum disorder and course of symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the temporal stability of autism spectrum disorder and autism diagnosis, and the longitudinal trajectories of autism core symptom severity. We furthermore sought to identify possible predictors for change. Methods We searched PubMed, PsycInfo, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library up to October 2015 for prospective cohort studies addressing the autism spectrum disorder/autism diagnostic stability, and prospective studies of intervention effects. We included people of all ages with autism spectrum disorder/autism or at risk of having autism spectrum disorder, who were diagnosed and followed up for at least 12 months using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Both continuous ADOS scores and dichotomous diagnostic categories were pooled in random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. Results Of 1443 abstracts screened, 44 were eligible of which 40 studies contained appropriate data for meta-analysis. A total of 5771 participants from 7 months of age to 16.5 years were included. Our analyses showed no change in ADOS scores across time as measured by Calibrated Severity Scores

Research paper thumbnail of Musicking as a form of social play and supporting creative connections with children with autism spectrum disorder

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy

Taylor & Francis has a flexible approach to subscriptions enabling us to match individual librari... more Taylor & Francis has a flexible approach to subscriptions enabling us to match individual libraries' requirements. This journal is available via a traditional institutional subscription (either print with free online access, or onlineonly at a discount) or as part of the Behavioural Science subject package or Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities full text package. For more information on our sales packages please visit www.tandfonline.com/ librarians_pricinginfo_journals. All current institutional subscriptions include online access for any number of concurrent users across a local area network to the currently available backfile and articles posted online ahead of publication. Subscriptions purchased at the personal rate are strictly for personal, non-commercial use only. The reselling of personal subscriptions is prohibited. Personal subscriptions must be purchased with a personal cheque or credit card. Proof of personal status may be requested.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Improvisational Music Therapy vs Enhanced Standard Care on Symptom Severity Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The TIME-A Randomized Clinical Trial

JAMA, Aug 8, 2017

Music therapy may facilitate skills in areas affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as ... more Music therapy may facilitate skills in areas affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as social interaction and communication. To evaluate effects of improvisational music therapy on generalized social communication skills of children with ASD. Assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial, conducted in 9 countries and enrolling children aged 4 to 7 years with ASD. Children were recruited from November 2011 to November 2015, with follow-up between January 2012 and November 2016. Enhanced standard care (n = 182) vs enhanced standard care plus improvisational music therapy (n = 182), allocated in a 1:1 ratio. Enhanced standard care consisted of usual care as locally available plus parent counseling to discuss parents' concerns and provide information about ASD. In improvisational music therapy, trained music therapists sang or played music with each child, attuned and adapted to the child's focus of attention, to help children develop affect sharing and joint attention. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Meaning of a Performance in Music Therapy for Children and Their Families Experiencing Homelessness and Family Violence

Music Therapy Perspectives, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of “We’ve got a special connection”: qualitative analysis of descriptions of change in the parent–child relationship by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 08098131 2013 858762, Jan 6, 2015

Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in ... more Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in the area of reciprocal social interactions with family and peers. Collaborating with the families of these children in therapy sessions is fast becoming best practice in many countries. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child. The interview questions focussed on changes to the nature of the parent-child relationship. Analysis of the interviews identified three aspects of positive change to the parent-child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents' perception of the child and the parents' response to the child. The changes in the relationship with their child were valued and cherished by all of the mothers, and understanding the impact a familycentred approach might have on the nature of the parent-child relationship needs further exploration.

Research paper thumbnail of Music in everyday life by parents with their children with autism

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2016

This Supplement to the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) with the abstracts of the 10th Euro... more This Supplement to the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) with the abstracts of the 10th European Music Therapy Conference is a novelty; at the same time, it also continues and extends previous collaborations. NJMT has been engaged in Nordic and European conferences (and sometimes beyond) in several ways. In 2010, we published an issue dedicated to the 6th Nordic Conference on Music Therapy, with selected papers from that conference. In this, Tony Wigram (2010) reflected upon the different types of academic exchangethe rapid, immediate communication at conferences versus the more lasting, verified record in peer-reviewed journalswhich both serve their distinct purpose. The special issue built a bridge between these types by subjecting papers based on conference presentations to peer reviewwhich may explain why the issue appeared a year after the conference (Gold, 2016). A decade earlier, a similar special issue was published with the keynotes of the 3rd Nordic Conference on Music Therapy (Lehtonen, 1997). We also built a bridge in the opposite direction when we produced a special issue with selected reprints of previous articles for the 7th European Music Therapy Congress in 2007 (upon invitation by its organising committee). In the last 3 years, we have started to conduct seminars on scientific writing and peer review at Nordic, European, and World conferences of music therapy (Gold, 2016). The present Supplement, however, is different. Following a tradition that is common in related fields but not so common in music therapy yet, it contains all the abstracts that have been accepted for the conference. It will therefore serve a double role: First, it will be useful for conference participants as a reference during the conference, just like the usual abstract booklet. Second, it is also distributed to the subscribers to the journal, both online and in print, thereby serving to increase the lasting visibility of the conference papers. This is generally important and useful for authors of all types of work, be it qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, theoretical, or clinical/practice-based. Additionally, it is vital for authors of systematic reviews to be able to find all studies that meet their inclusion criteria to avoid publication bias (the tendency for studies to be selectively published based on results). So, authors of empirical outcome studies, beware: Even if you choose not to publish your study after this conference, people conducting systematic reviews will still be able to find your study through this Supplement! (It contains several randomised trials, as well as systematic reviews.) It is also interesting to note the variety of European and non-European countries that the abstracts came from. All continents of the world are represented. This may serve as a reminder that, like the Nordic spirit (Gold, 2015), the European spirit can be understood as a mindset rather than only a geographical location.

Research paper thumbnail of Making a connection: randomised controlled trial of family centred music therapy for young children with autism spectrum disorder

Research paper thumbnail of Music Therapy with Families: Clinical Approaches and Theoretical Perspectives

Research paper thumbnail of Do you have to be a positivist to do an RCT?

Research paper thumbnail of TIME-A: Investigating improvisational music therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of fostering relationships through music within a special school classroom for students with autism spectrum disorder: an action research study

Educational Action Research, 2015

Music therapists have been working in special education contexts for many decades, utilising rese... more Music therapists have been working in special education contexts for many decades, utilising research and case studies to inform practice. Growing interest in the link between the creative arts and well-being has led music therapists to consider what aspects of their knowledge others could feasibly appropriate in the school system. An action research approach was utilised to explore this question, grounded in partnerships between university-based music therapy researchers and staff at a school for learners on the autistic spectrum. Five cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection framed the collaborative partnership, with a music therapist acting as consultant to explore how music could be used across the school day. The greatest shift evidenced through qualitative and quantitative analysis was in the area of relationship building. Rather than seeing music as a tool that supports the acquisition of specific skills, the professionals and students in the school came to understand that music could be a meaningful part of their encounter with one another. This is congruent with music therapy research findings that also emphasise the ways music can be used to motivate, evoke and elicit meaningful responses from young people. Some limitations were identified in the sustainability of music practices in the school, particularly when other parts of the school culture were changing.

Research paper thumbnail of Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and developmental disability: Four case studies exploring communication and engagement within musical interactions

Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 2014

Skewes McFerran (2015) Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and develop... more Skewes McFerran (2015) Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and developmental disability: Four case studies exploring communication and engagement within musical interactions,

Research paper thumbnail of A Survey of Parents' Use of Music in the Home With Their Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Building the Capacity of Families

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 2014

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of “It’s Not What’s Done, But Why It’s Done”

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy

This position paper offers our personal reflections as five music therapists from varying social ... more This position paper offers our personal reflections as five music therapists from varying social and international contexts attempting to understand and engage with the theory, politics and implications of the Neurodiversity Movement. We begin by positioning our views on the importance of the therapist’s intentionality when working with individuals for whom this social, cultural and political movement may represent central beliefs and values. The evolution of the Neurodiversity Movement is discussed, growing from the social model of disability and Disability Rights Movements to present a challenge to the dominant, medicalised model of disability. Throughout the paper, we invite critical debate around the role, position and attitude of the music therapist when working with neurodivergent participants, taking the powerful words of Autistic author and activist, Penni Winter, as our provocation. Finally, we offer our interpretation of key concepts and dimensions of this discourse, befor...

Research paper thumbnail of Reflecting on relational needs in the context of a global health crisis

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy

Research paper thumbnail of Music Therapists’ Perceptions of the Therapeutic Potentials Using Music When Working With Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Qualitative Analysis

Journal of Music Therapy

While there are numerous descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential by music ... more While there are numerous descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential by music therapists working with nonverbal children on the autism spectrum, only limited literature focuses on exploring how music therapists use music and perceive its therapeutic potential when working with children on the spectrum who have verbal skills. This qualitative study aimed to explore music therapists’ descriptions of the use of music and its therapeutic potential in their work with children on the autism spectrum who have verbal skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six qualified music therapists from Israel and then analyzed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three main themes were identified: (a) musical infrastructure, which describes how the music therapists facilitated musical experiences to support the children’s ability to regulate their arousal, attention and emotions; (b) the meeting point between musical and verba...

Research paper thumbnail of Reliability of the Music in Everyday Life (MEL) Scale: A Parent-Report Assessment for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Research paper thumbnail of Supporting positive parenting practices within a community‐based music therapy group program: Pilot study findings

Journal of Community Psychology

Research paper thumbnail of The ‘Music Therapy with Families Network’: Creating a community of practice via social media

British Journal of Music Therapy

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Interpretive Synthesis of the Ways Children's Needs and Capacities are Represented in the Homelessness and Family Violence Literature

Children Australia

This paper describes a critical interpretive synthesis (critical review of the literature) explor... more This paper describes a critical interpretive synthesis (critical review of the literature) exploring the ways children are described and represented in the homelessness and family violence literature regarding programmes.…

Research paper thumbnail of Tracing the temporal stability of autism spectrum diagnosis and severity as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PLOS ONE

Background Exploring ways to improve the trajectory and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is p... more Background Exploring ways to improve the trajectory and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is prevalent in research, but less is known about the natural prognosis of autism spectrum disorder and course of symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the temporal stability of autism spectrum disorder and autism diagnosis, and the longitudinal trajectories of autism core symptom severity. We furthermore sought to identify possible predictors for change. Methods We searched PubMed, PsycInfo, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library up to October 2015 for prospective cohort studies addressing the autism spectrum disorder/autism diagnostic stability, and prospective studies of intervention effects. We included people of all ages with autism spectrum disorder/autism or at risk of having autism spectrum disorder, who were diagnosed and followed up for at least 12 months using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Both continuous ADOS scores and dichotomous diagnostic categories were pooled in random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. Results Of 1443 abstracts screened, 44 were eligible of which 40 studies contained appropriate data for meta-analysis. A total of 5771 participants from 7 months of age to 16.5 years were included. Our analyses showed no change in ADOS scores across time as measured by Calibrated Severity Scores

Research paper thumbnail of Musicking as a form of social play and supporting creative connections with children with autism spectrum disorder

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy

Taylor & Francis has a flexible approach to subscriptions enabling us to match individual librari... more Taylor & Francis has a flexible approach to subscriptions enabling us to match individual libraries' requirements. This journal is available via a traditional institutional subscription (either print with free online access, or onlineonly at a discount) or as part of the Behavioural Science subject package or Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities full text package. For more information on our sales packages please visit www.tandfonline.com/ librarians_pricinginfo_journals. All current institutional subscriptions include online access for any number of concurrent users across a local area network to the currently available backfile and articles posted online ahead of publication. Subscriptions purchased at the personal rate are strictly for personal, non-commercial use only. The reselling of personal subscriptions is prohibited. Personal subscriptions must be purchased with a personal cheque or credit card. Proof of personal status may be requested.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Improvisational Music Therapy vs Enhanced Standard Care on Symptom Severity Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The TIME-A Randomized Clinical Trial

JAMA, Aug 8, 2017

Music therapy may facilitate skills in areas affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as ... more Music therapy may facilitate skills in areas affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as social interaction and communication. To evaluate effects of improvisational music therapy on generalized social communication skills of children with ASD. Assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial, conducted in 9 countries and enrolling children aged 4 to 7 years with ASD. Children were recruited from November 2011 to November 2015, with follow-up between January 2012 and November 2016. Enhanced standard care (n = 182) vs enhanced standard care plus improvisational music therapy (n = 182), allocated in a 1:1 ratio. Enhanced standard care consisted of usual care as locally available plus parent counseling to discuss parents' concerns and provide information about ASD. In improvisational music therapy, trained music therapists sang or played music with each child, attuned and adapted to the child's focus of attention, to help children develop affect sharing and joint attention. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Meaning of a Performance in Music Therapy for Children and Their Families Experiencing Homelessness and Family Violence

Music Therapy Perspectives, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of “We’ve got a special connection”: qualitative analysis of descriptions of change in the parent–child relationship by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 08098131 2013 858762, Jan 6, 2015

Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in ... more Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in the area of reciprocal social interactions with family and peers. Collaborating with the families of these children in therapy sessions is fast becoming best practice in many countries. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child. The interview questions focussed on changes to the nature of the parent-child relationship. Analysis of the interviews identified three aspects of positive change to the parent-child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents' perception of the child and the parents' response to the child. The changes in the relationship with their child were valued and cherished by all of the mothers, and understanding the impact a familycentred approach might have on the nature of the parent-child relationship needs further exploration.

Research paper thumbnail of Music in everyday life by parents with their children with autism

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2016

This Supplement to the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) with the abstracts of the 10th Euro... more This Supplement to the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) with the abstracts of the 10th European Music Therapy Conference is a novelty; at the same time, it also continues and extends previous collaborations. NJMT has been engaged in Nordic and European conferences (and sometimes beyond) in several ways. In 2010, we published an issue dedicated to the 6th Nordic Conference on Music Therapy, with selected papers from that conference. In this, Tony Wigram (2010) reflected upon the different types of academic exchangethe rapid, immediate communication at conferences versus the more lasting, verified record in peer-reviewed journalswhich both serve their distinct purpose. The special issue built a bridge between these types by subjecting papers based on conference presentations to peer reviewwhich may explain why the issue appeared a year after the conference (Gold, 2016). A decade earlier, a similar special issue was published with the keynotes of the 3rd Nordic Conference on Music Therapy (Lehtonen, 1997). We also built a bridge in the opposite direction when we produced a special issue with selected reprints of previous articles for the 7th European Music Therapy Congress in 2007 (upon invitation by its organising committee). In the last 3 years, we have started to conduct seminars on scientific writing and peer review at Nordic, European, and World conferences of music therapy (Gold, 2016). The present Supplement, however, is different. Following a tradition that is common in related fields but not so common in music therapy yet, it contains all the abstracts that have been accepted for the conference. It will therefore serve a double role: First, it will be useful for conference participants as a reference during the conference, just like the usual abstract booklet. Second, it is also distributed to the subscribers to the journal, both online and in print, thereby serving to increase the lasting visibility of the conference papers. This is generally important and useful for authors of all types of work, be it qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, theoretical, or clinical/practice-based. Additionally, it is vital for authors of systematic reviews to be able to find all studies that meet their inclusion criteria to avoid publication bias (the tendency for studies to be selectively published based on results). So, authors of empirical outcome studies, beware: Even if you choose not to publish your study after this conference, people conducting systematic reviews will still be able to find your study through this Supplement! (It contains several randomised trials, as well as systematic reviews.) It is also interesting to note the variety of European and non-European countries that the abstracts came from. All continents of the world are represented. This may serve as a reminder that, like the Nordic spirit (Gold, 2015), the European spirit can be understood as a mindset rather than only a geographical location.

Research paper thumbnail of Making a connection: randomised controlled trial of family centred music therapy for young children with autism spectrum disorder

Research paper thumbnail of Music Therapy with Families: Clinical Approaches and Theoretical Perspectives

Research paper thumbnail of Do you have to be a positivist to do an RCT?

Research paper thumbnail of TIME-A: Investigating improvisational music therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of fostering relationships through music within a special school classroom for students with autism spectrum disorder: an action research study

Educational Action Research, 2015

Music therapists have been working in special education contexts for many decades, utilising rese... more Music therapists have been working in special education contexts for many decades, utilising research and case studies to inform practice. Growing interest in the link between the creative arts and well-being has led music therapists to consider what aspects of their knowledge others could feasibly appropriate in the school system. An action research approach was utilised to explore this question, grounded in partnerships between university-based music therapy researchers and staff at a school for learners on the autistic spectrum. Five cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection framed the collaborative partnership, with a music therapist acting as consultant to explore how music could be used across the school day. The greatest shift evidenced through qualitative and quantitative analysis was in the area of relationship building. Rather than seeing music as a tool that supports the acquisition of specific skills, the professionals and students in the school came to understand that music could be a meaningful part of their encounter with one another. This is congruent with music therapy research findings that also emphasise the ways music can be used to motivate, evoke and elicit meaningful responses from young people. Some limitations were identified in the sustainability of music practices in the school, particularly when other parts of the school culture were changing.

Research paper thumbnail of Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and developmental disability: Four case studies exploring communication and engagement within musical interactions

Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 2014

Skewes McFerran (2015) Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and develop... more Skewes McFerran (2015) Music therapy with young people who have profound intellectual and developmental disability: Four case studies exploring communication and engagement within musical interactions,

Research paper thumbnail of A Survey of Parents' Use of Music in the Home With Their Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Building the Capacity of Families

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 2014

ABSTRACT