Music for Children and Young People with Complex Needs

by Adam Ockelford

There are around 40,000 children and young people in the UK alone with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties, in special schools and in mainstream education. Research has indicated that provision is at best patchy, despite the widely held belief that music is beneficial, both in its own right and to promote wider development. This book seeks to foster progress in what is still a young discipline by reflecting on contemporary thinking and practice, identifying key issues, introducing recent and ongoing research, and providing practical advice for practitioners including teachers, therapists, and community musicians.

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon]

This is a clever and incisive book. Ockelford works with the phrase 'special needs' - unpicking it as a label and understanding its applications - and then probing the most effective music programme to match educational and developmental goals.

The complexity of pedagogy in this environment is not underestimated, but Ockelford shows - through an array of case studies and examples - the best use of music in a special needs classroom, transcending the label of 'music therapy.'

Well written. Well researched. Well conceived. Recommended.