| Abstract [eng] |
The topic of developing social skills in children with EBD (emotional and behavioural disorder) is becoming increasingly relevant in today's context. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly contributed to the lack of social skills in children, and the rapid integration of technology further exacerbates the situation. The most crucial environments where the initial deficiencies in social skills occur are the family and later the educational environment. As the difficulties in social skills increase, so do the challenges faced by the environments in which children with EBD are present. In Lithuania, there is a growing emphasis on the comprehensive integration of these environments, which can be seen in the changing laws. Therefore, healthcare services are becoming and can become an attractive tool for participating in and providing assistance to children with special educational needs in the educational process. Music therapy and songwriting are methods that can help children develop social skills. The songwriting method allows children to express themselves in socially appropriate ways and improves their communication, collaboration, active engagement, questioning, and problem-solving abilities. It also increases self-confidence, emotional regulation, and impulse control. MTSSA (Music Therapy Social Skills Assessment) is a new, yet untested tool for evaluating social skills in music therapy. It helps assess social behavior changes in a short period and facilitates the inclusion of children in joint activities more quickly. This method has a clear system of behavior levels and incentives that help achieve the highest level of cooperative behavior among peers. Both of these methods have a positive impact on children's social skills. These methods can be adapted for other client groups and used in the assessment and areas of healthcare, special needs, and general education. |
