Music therapy and the NDIS.

Do you enjoy music? Maybe you have a favourite song that makes you feel relaxed, sad, happy or even motivated?

Here at Leap in! HQ, we love music and understand that it has the power to affect our emotions and even the way our brains function!

This week, we’re looking at music therapy and the NDIS.

The universal language.

Some people call music the universal language because while we may not understand the lyrics of a foreign song, we can still hear and feel the chords and notes.

Also, we are often able to feel an emotional response to a song based on the way the notes are put together.

These are just some of the reasons why music is such a powerful therapeutic tool and is used to support people improve many areas of their lives.

Music therapy.

A registered music therapist (RMT) is a musician who has trained at university to understand how music can be used to help people improve their health, functioning and wellbeing.

Music therapy can assist people living with a disability in a number of ways.

Behavioural needs
Listening and playing music has the capacity to provide relaxation, mood regulation and management of behavioural triggers. It has also been shown to increase positive moods and social engagement in a broad range of people with behavioural needs.

Cognitive needs
Music therapy can assist to increase memory function, attention, planning and organisation skills. It can help memory recall and support sensory processing.

Communication needs
Human beings are naturally musical and an ability to process music is present from birth. Music therapists use this knowledge to support the development of individuals who are non-verbal, pre-verbal or who present with communication difficulties.

Motor skills and mobility needs
Because of the body’s natural response to the rhythmic and often repetitive nature of music, listening to music can support the development, maintenance or rehabilitation of motor skills and physical independence.

Music therapy and the NDIS.

Under the NDIS, music therapy is provided as an allied health service in the same way as physiotherapy, speech therapy and many others.

It falls under the support cluster of Capacity Building supports (Improved Daily Living).

If you have individual therapeutic support or group therapy support funding, you may choose to use that funding for or part of that funding for music therapy.

Non-therapeutic music teachers and other entertainment-based musical activities are not directly funded by the NDIS.

For a quick refresher take a look at our blog NDIS Plan budget categories explained.

We’re here to help.

If music therapy sounds like music to your ears, Leap in! can help. Wherever you are located our crew can help you find the right allied health professionals to meet your individual needs.

Call us on 1300 05 78 78 or email crew@leapin.com.au

You can also book a free NDIS pre-planning session or sign up to Leap in! plan management today.