The Role of Music and Music Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Traumatically Brain Injured CIients

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) claims over 450,000 victims each year under the age of 34, and has a profound impact on families and society in general. This paper describes the music therapy program at the rehabilitation corporation Rebound, Inc., which employs a multi-modality treatment approach. Clients at Rebound are classified according to the original Rancho Los Amigos Scale. The authors state that successful rehabilitation begins with the development of rapport between therapist and client, and recognition of the fact that each can learn from the other. With Rancho levels –III, the clients' medical needs pose a unique set of challenger. These challenges complicate assessment, treatment, and evaluation. Included in the assessment are stimulus alerting responses, oral motor movements, changing facial expressions, and vocalizations. Improvisatory music is used to “increase environmental awareness,” accentuate random movements, encourage vocalization, and improve reality orientation. With levels IV through VI clients, music is used principally to enhance exercise routines. Levels of cognitive functioning are presented in Appendix A, and an adaption of Rancho Scale Levels of Client Achievement is given in Appendix B.