A World of Sound and Music: "Music Therapy and Musical Speech Therapy with Hearing-Impaired and Multiply Handicapped Children

Since 1961 we have used music in the treatment and education of more than 3000 hearingimpaired and multiplehandicapped children, aged 2-17. The music therapy programme has been integrated in staff training programmes of special education in several countries. The crux of the programme is the training through music of voice and speech, which starts at age 2 and is then subsequently integrated in the daily education. A great number of special musical instruments are used. Extraordinary experiences have been made with SonorTone Bars, 64-380 Hz, analysed in our research project: «Physiological SoundFunctions among profoundly Deaf and Normal Hearing Children.» The method provides one of the best yet known means to improve the voice material of the hearing impaired persons and their ability to perceive and reproduce the inflexions of speech, resulting in an increased intelligibility and improved communication. Music therapy and musical speech therapy is one of the most important pedagogic/therapeutic means of developing an acoustic-visual-motor unity, and an optimum means of communication for hearing-impaired and multiplyhandicapped children for an easier adjustment and integration into society.