Nursery World - Feel the beat (2)

Vulnerable children find ways to express themselves when working with Tiffany Hughes, music therapist at the Coram Family Centre When people ask me what I do and I tell them that I'm a music therapist, they usually give me a slightly confused but vaguely interested look. They go on to ask something about whether I help pop stars when they have writer's block, or how I know what music to play to people. I explain that I spend my day making music and trying to connect with children through play, whether that means making up songs and banging drums or playing hide-and-seek with the child who spends their session hiding in the cupboard with the instruments.

When people ask me what I do and I tell them that I'm a music therapist, they usually give me a slightly confused but vaguely interested look. They go on to ask something about whether I help pop stars when they have writer's block, or how I know what music to play to people. I explain that I spend my day making music and trying to connect with children through play, whether that means making up songs and banging drums or playing hide-and-seek with the child who spends their session hiding in the cupboard with the instruments.

Individual needs

The aims of therapy will differ according to the child's needs and the reasons they have been referred. The child may have a specific diagnosis, such as being on the autistic spectrum or having ADHD. Often, however, their needs have not been diagnosed and their parents and practitioners simply have some concerns about their emotional well-being, behaviour, relationships with peers and/or adults, or their play skills, self-expression or communication development.

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