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Music Therapy in Northern Ireland

The provision for people with learning disabilities

School of Media and Performing Arts, University of Ulster, UK

Michael Kirk-Smith

Institute of Postgraduate Medicine and Health, University of Ulster, UK

Eamonn Slevin

School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster, UK

Julie Sutton

University of Ulster, UK

Kate Thompson

School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster, UK

Music therapy is predominantly used to treat children and adults with a wide range of learning disabilities. This paper identifies a shortfall of provision in Northern Ireland in comparison with other parts of the United Kingdom, such that only 200 people per year receive music therapy out of over 8000 people with learning disabilities who could benefit from it. A survey of health and educational professionals attending short courses in music therapy was conducted. It was found that this shortfall in provision was, in part, being met by the informal use of music by them, despite their lack of formal training in music therapy. The paper concludes that where such shortfalls in music therapy exist, limited input and direction from music therapists to these professionals, e.g. via short training courses, would be of great benefit through improving the quality and effectiveness of their use of music in therapy for people with learning disabilities.

Key Words: learning disabilities • music • provision • shortfall • therapists

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 4, No. 1, 63-76 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/146900470000400105


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