| Abstract [eng] |
Ugnė Barysaitė. The Role of the Music Therapist within an Interdisciplinary Early Developmental Rehabilitation Team. Master‘s thesis / Supervisor – dr. Loreta Kačiušytė-Skramtai, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre/ Advisor – dr. Tomas Aukštikalnis, Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius 2026. Keywords: the role of the music therapist, functions of the music therapist, an interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team, music therapy assessment. Despite the international recognition of music therapy, the role of the music therapist within and interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team has not yet been systematically defined (Stankevičienė, 2020). There is a lack of researches focusing not only on the effectiveness of music therapy, but the role of music therapist itself. Therefore, a problem arises – the professional role and functions of the music therapist within an interdisciplinary early rehabilitation team in Lithuania are not yet systematically defined. As a result, uncertainties and doubts arise regarding the importance of this specialist’s role, functional activities and integration into the interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation process. The object – the role of music therapist. The aim – to reveal the role of the music therapist within an interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team. The objectives: 1. To describe the concept of early developmental rehabilitation and the principles of interdisciplinary team functioning. 2. To identify the functions of the music therapist within an interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team. 3. To analyse the methods of music therapy process assessment in early developmental rehabilitation. 4. To explore how the professional role of the music therapist is understood and enacted within an interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, document analysis, qualitative research – semi-structured interview, observation of music therapy interventions. Main findings: the music therapist is perceived as an equal team member of the interdisciplinary early developmental rehabilitation team, contributing to child’s cognitive and learning processes, emotional self-regulation, motivation, social interaction and communication through music therapy methods adapted to the child’s individual needs and rehabilitation goals, while also involving parents in the therapeutic process. |
