Sara Knapik Szweda - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sara Knapik Szweda
Music therapy is a young and rapidly growing discipline, especially in Western culture. It is a f... more Music therapy is a young and rapidly growing discipline, especially in Western culture. It is a form of therapy that makes use of the comprehensive impact of music and its elements to fulfil the social, educational, emotional and cognitive needs of the individual. In music therapy, each and every participant is subjected to the influence of a range of methods and techniques, regardless of age, origin, sex, disturbance or disabilities. Music therapy is a therapeutic process, and it also supports other forms of therapy and/or rehabilitation. One of the disturbances which music therapy might be particularly helpful for is autism. Children with autism have problems with verbal and nonverbal communication: they are not able to sustain and initiate interactions with others. What is more, they have behavioral disturbances based on repetitive, stereotyped patterns of behavior, and cognitive problems. Thanks to music and music therapy, children with autism can acquire communicative, cognitiv...
Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2020
Introduction: There is evidence that music therapy is beneficial for preterm infants and their ca... more Introduction: There is evidence that music therapy is beneficial for preterm infants and their caregivers while in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Although some countries have generated a large amount of good-quality research in this context, Poland has not been involved in any such projects so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate: the acceptability, integrability, and safety of the music therapy intervention; the feasibility of the LongSTEP protocol procedures; and the adaptability of outcome measures to a Polish cohort before joining the definite international LongSTEP trial. Method: We included medically stable premature infants and their parents/caregivers. As part of this feasibility study, we offered 2 music therapy sessions per week during the NICU stay and 2 music therapy sessions across a 3-month period post NICU discharge. Feasibility and acceptability data were collected from parents at baseline, 1-2 days prior to discharge, and at the end of treatment. Results: Six premature neonates, four mothers, and three fathers were involved. A total of 23 sessions during NICU and 8 post-discharge sessions were included. The findings suggest that it was feasible to implement an abbreviated version of the LongSTEP project within a Polish neonatal setting; therefore Poland would be a feasible site for the definitive trial. Discussion: This currentproject provides clinical insights in a culturally relevant context for the implementation of music therapy within the Polish neonatal healthcare system.
Self-awareness and the awareness of the world become basic functions of every human life and are ... more Self-awareness and the awareness of the world become basic functions of every human life and are extremely important for the development of an individual. Musical awareness is a predominant aspect of the article, especially from the point of view of the music therapy process and improvisational activity. The article presents the basic concept of consciousness in the process of two cases of patients with multiple disabilities and visual deficits. The author presents musical behaviors which indicate the forms of self-awareness, the awareness of the other person (therapist), place and a therapeutic situation during music therapy. Due to the adopted method of research – case study – a comprehensive description of the process is presented incorporating music therapy intervention and changes in the musical and non-musical activities observed in the two cases. The entire article concludes that music therapy is an effective form of stimulating self-awareness of individuals with disabilities...
Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki Specjalnej
One of the functions of art is understanding an individual and his or her potential. Art provides... more One of the functions of art is understanding an individual and his or her potential. Art provides an individual with proper conditions and gives new opportunities to function regardless of one’s age and disability. The purpose of this article is to get the reader acquainted with the significance of qualitative research especially in the context of arts-based research in special needs education and music therapy. In theoretical part, the authoress will attempt to answer the question of what benefits this research method brings and why it is useful. What is to be described at the beginning quite extensively is the situation of research in special education and music therapy as a scientific discipline. This presentation will smoothly lead the reader to the essence of article, i.e. the arts-based research method. The definitions of arts-based research will be presented together with differences resulting from defining the notions connected with art. Examples will also be provided of res...
Music therapy is a young and rapidly growing discipline, especially in Western culture. It is a f... more Music therapy is a young and rapidly growing discipline, especially in Western culture. It is a form of therapy that makes use of the comprehensive impact of music and its elements to fulfil the social, educational, emotional and cognitive needs of the individual. In music therapy, each and every participant is subjected to the influence of a range of methods and techniques, regardless of age, origin, sex, disturbance or disabilities. Music therapy is a therapeutic process, and it also supports other forms of therapy and/or rehabilitation. One of the disturbances which music therapy might be particularly helpful for is autism. Children with autism have problems with verbal and nonverbal communication: they are not able to sustain and initiate interactions with others. What is more, they have behavioral disturbances based on repetitive, stereotyped patterns of behavior, and cognitive problems. Thanks to music and music therapy, children with autism can acquire communicative, cognitiv...
Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2020
Introduction: There is evidence that music therapy is beneficial for preterm infants and their ca... more Introduction: There is evidence that music therapy is beneficial for preterm infants and their caregivers while in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Although some countries have generated a large amount of good-quality research in this context, Poland has not been involved in any such projects so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate: the acceptability, integrability, and safety of the music therapy intervention; the feasibility of the LongSTEP protocol procedures; and the adaptability of outcome measures to a Polish cohort before joining the definite international LongSTEP trial. Method: We included medically stable premature infants and their parents/caregivers. As part of this feasibility study, we offered 2 music therapy sessions per week during the NICU stay and 2 music therapy sessions across a 3-month period post NICU discharge. Feasibility and acceptability data were collected from parents at baseline, 1-2 days prior to discharge, and at the end of treatment. Results: Six premature neonates, four mothers, and three fathers were involved. A total of 23 sessions during NICU and 8 post-discharge sessions were included. The findings suggest that it was feasible to implement an abbreviated version of the LongSTEP project within a Polish neonatal setting; therefore Poland would be a feasible site for the definitive trial. Discussion: This currentproject provides clinical insights in a culturally relevant context for the implementation of music therapy within the Polish neonatal healthcare system.
Self-awareness and the awareness of the world become basic functions of every human life and are ... more Self-awareness and the awareness of the world become basic functions of every human life and are extremely important for the development of an individual. Musical awareness is a predominant aspect of the article, especially from the point of view of the music therapy process and improvisational activity. The article presents the basic concept of consciousness in the process of two cases of patients with multiple disabilities and visual deficits. The author presents musical behaviors which indicate the forms of self-awareness, the awareness of the other person (therapist), place and a therapeutic situation during music therapy. Due to the adopted method of research – case study – a comprehensive description of the process is presented incorporating music therapy intervention and changes in the musical and non-musical activities observed in the two cases. The entire article concludes that music therapy is an effective form of stimulating self-awareness of individuals with disabilities...
Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki Specjalnej
One of the functions of art is understanding an individual and his or her potential. Art provides... more One of the functions of art is understanding an individual and his or her potential. Art provides an individual with proper conditions and gives new opportunities to function regardless of one’s age and disability. The purpose of this article is to get the reader acquainted with the significance of qualitative research especially in the context of arts-based research in special needs education and music therapy. In theoretical part, the authoress will attempt to answer the question of what benefits this research method brings and why it is useful. What is to be described at the beginning quite extensively is the situation of research in special education and music therapy as a scientific discipline. This presentation will smoothly lead the reader to the essence of article, i.e. the arts-based research method. The definitions of arts-based research will be presented together with differences resulting from defining the notions connected with art. Examples will also be provided of res...