Friday July 18, 2008
Music therapy good for special kids
Story and photos by CHARLES FERNANDEZ
MUSIC therapy is used in many areas, from helping patients with Alzheimer’s disease to children with developmental problems to those suffering from chronic illness.
However, music therapy does not cure but it is a process that helps patients cope and deal with their illnesses.
Caregivers who counsel this group of people on stress management teaches them to deal with their emotion using music if they are prone to anxiety attacks or anger.
Patience and persistence are vital in working with children with developmental disability and basic adaptive behavioural skills is a method to evaluate a child according to his/her suitability in a performing a particular task or routine exercise.
These were the key messages that were presented to parents of children with disabilities and caregivers by Datin Seri Siti Nooriah Ana Razak, the wife of the Federal Territories Minister, during a seminar on increasing awareness for autistic children held at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Kuala Lumpur recently.
The seminar was organised by the FT People’s Progressive Party and the FT Women Sports, Welfare and Health Association.
Siti Nooriah, who is chairman of the Yayasan Amal Wangsa, said parents with special children should not regard them as a burden but to take it as a test of patience and persistence in bringing up their children as useful members of society.
“If given the right guidance and care, they can be just as useful as any other child. It all depends on the willpower of the parents to lead them along the right path,” she said.
She added that it was important for parents to get the services of counsellors to help them cope with the daily emotional distress if they were not able to handle their autistic child.
Siti Nooriah, who is chairman of the Yayasan Amal Wangsa, said parents with special children should not regard them as a burden but to take it as a test of patience and persistence in bringing up their children as useful members of society.
“If given the right guidance and care, they can be just as useful as any other child. It all depends on the willpower of the parents to lead them along the right path,” she said.
She added that it was important for parents to get the services of counsellors to help them cope with the daily emotional distress if they were not able to handle their autistic child.
Dr Alvin Ng Lai Onn, a psychologist from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, UKM, who was one of the three speakers at the seminar, said adaptive behaviour skills was used to assess and diagnose an individual according to their behaviour.
“In special children, behavioural patterns changes from time to time and it is parents and caregivers who have to help mould them according to the individual’s behaviour,” added Lai.
The other speakers were Shoba Ramanathan, a music therapist and Dr Hasnah Toran, special educationist.
“In special children, behavioural patterns changes from time to time and it is parents and caregivers who have to help mould them according to the individual’s behaviour,” added Lai.
The other speakers were Shoba Ramanathan, a music therapist and Dr Hasnah Toran, special educationist.
No comments:
Post a Comment