April 2025 Music Notes

Why Parents Choose Music Therapy

“Music is the way to Coco’s heart!”
– Rosie, parent of a child with Down Syndrome

Almost everyone loves music, and children are no exception. Music can improve our mood, wake us up, help us remember, and liven up any party! Music can be highly motivational, helping us not just get through tasks, but maybe even enjoy them.

A group of parents in the St. Louis area realize the impact that music has on their children with Down Syndrome. These parents reached out to CMMT to create a music therapy group to help their children work on tough developmental goals while singing, dancing, and having a blast!

One parent in this group states that music therapy supports her child’s development, improves her concentration, helps her focus on the task at hand, and builds her understanding of routines.

"We’re so happy Sutton is in music therapy—it’s been a great support for her development. As a mostly nonverbal child with Down Syndrome, she’s learning to communicate through signs and motions in songs, build routine awareness, and improve her focus."
– Danielle, parent of a child in the “Itty Bitty” group.

Music promotes cognitive development. A (2020) review stated, “Current evidence suggests that music education and music therapy have a medium to large effect on behavior and general development in individuals with Down Syndrome" (Moreno-Garcia et al). This article, highlights the motivating power of music in learning.

Every society throughout history has included music in its cultural expression. Music connects us, breaks down social barriers, and creates common ground as a foundation for relationship-building. In other words, music is a great tool for building social skills!

“My child has started to engage more with others.”
– Nicole, parent of a child in the “Itty Bitty” group

One big challenge for individuals with Down syndrome is communication (Pathanjaly, 2023). Music therapy supports communication skills from several angles:

Playing instruments together facilitates nonverbal communication skills as participants must watch others for nonverbal cues
Singing strengthens articulation
Rhythms encourage speech “flow” and make producing speech sounds easier
Music creates nonverbal “conversations,” developing turn-taking skills
Songs can move at a slower pace than regular speech, helping compensate for processing delays
Music involves repetition, which is extremely beneficial to speech learning

According to the National Down Syndrome Society, children with Down Syndrome usually experience developmental delays, and therapies providing developmental support can be extremely beneficial. Singing, movement to music, instrument play, and other music therapy interventions can help children develop a wide range of fine and gross motor skills to help them reach developmental milestones faster.

A child will benefit most when music therapy is offered in the context of a safe and loving caregiver relationship (O'Donoghue, 2016). Music can help strengthen the bond between a child and their caregiver, promoting a feeling of safety and attachment.

“Our group is more than music. We share our wins to celebrate and struggles to find solutions. We are a family.”
-Lisa, parent of a child in the “Itty Bitty” group

For more information on Down Syndrome, please check out these resources: