Rhythm & Rehab provides music therapy services including group and individual neurologic music therapy, adapted piano lessons, and musical theatre classes. The internship focused on developing early intervention activities using sensorimotor music-based treatment for children ages 3-5 with autism. Over five weekly sessions, the interns music therapy project showed improvements in students' sensorimotor skills like holding instruments and breath control. Moving forward, the intern recommends continued early intervention and raising community awareness of music therapy's benefits.

1. Got Music?
Cassie Brown
Public Health Education Associate
April 29, 2016
North Carolina Central University
Department of Public Health Education

2. Rhythm & Rehab, LLC
Music Therapy Services
▪ Rhythm & Rehab LLC provides Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) group and individual
therapy services as well as adapted piano lessons and Musical Theatre classes.
Services are research-based and focused on exploring individual’s abilities, strengths
and potentials while addressing motor, language, cognitive, sensory and social skills.

3. Rhythm & Rehab, LLC Organizational Chart
Founder/ Executive Director
PAULA SCICLUNA
M.A., MT-BC, NMT-F
SANDY LEVY
M.S.Ed, S.A.S., Director
of "Broadway Unlimited"
DR. DORITA BERGER
PhD, MT-BC, LCAT, Clinical
Director
KAYLA PASSIONE, MT
Music Therapist Staff
DOREEN ROSS
B.C.A.
Shelley, Intern Cassie Brown, Intern

4. PRECEPTORS:
Mrs. Paula Scicluna is a board- certified therapist from
South Dakota with 27 years of clinical experience working
with children and Adults challenged with developmental,
neurological and mental disorders. Also a classically-
trained pianist who has a passion to serve the people in
her community.
Dr. Dorita Berger, a former concert pianist, clinician with
numerous internationally published books and articles
including her most recent publication “Eurhythmics for
Autism and other Neurophysiologic Diagnoses: A
Sensorimotor Music-Based Treatment Approach” (2015).
Dr. Berger has been providing clinical music-based
treatment for several decades to populations of all ages
and diagnoses.

5. Work Plan Objectives
By the end of the internship, the health education associate (HEA) will:
▪ Conduct a needs assessment on music therapy in Durham County
▪ Interview and document four key informants (parents, agency staff,
classroom staff etc.)
▪ Plan, implement, and evaluate music therapy group sessions targeting
children who have autism
▪ Develop early intervention activities
- Complete the following activities:
▪ Lead activity session weekly and document
▪ assist the music therapists at the various sites in (Durham, Orange, Wake
County)

6. Roles and Responsibilities Activities
Area 1: Assess Needs, Assets And Capacity For Health
Education
-Conducted a needs assessment
-Conducted a literature review on autism
Area 2: Plan Health Education -Planned individual and group (MT) session goals and
objectives
-Planned weekly sessions for special project activities
Area 3: Implement Health Education -Implemented activities/songs that will help improve
sensorimotor skills
Area 4: Conduct Evaluation And Research -Analyzed the reports of weekly session changes
(document of overall sessions in Microsoft Excel)
Area 5: Administer And Manage Health Education
Area 6: Serve As A Health Education Resource Person -Organize music instruments and prepared sheet
music for the sessions
Area 7: Communicate And Advocate For Health And Health
Education
-Interviewed Parents of clients who are using (M.T.
services)

7. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
● Facilitated Music Therapy group sessions
● Developed a music therapy plan for individual sessions
● Learned how to work patiently with those who have challenges in speaking
● Learned sign language and play key notes on the piano
● Balancing work schedule
● Impact the clients through engagement
● Help my preceptor become more organized
● Assist the Music Club Band on Friday evenings

8. DELIVERABLES
● Created workplan goals & objectives
● Evaluation Report
● Developed session music/instruments for activities
● Developed ideas for “Tap Unlimited” Aphasia
Website/Social media
● Developed interview questions for key informants
● Created Special Project activities and resource guide

9. Expressing Myself
Through Sound
Developed for Early Childhood with ASD in Wake
County
March 17th & 24th, 2016
April 7th,14th,21st, 2016

10. BACKGROUND
▪ Autism affects 1 in 68 children in the U.S. (nationally), and 1 in 58 in North
Carolina (Local) which is the fastest growing developmental disorders and
costs a family average of $60,000 annually. There is no known medical
detection or cure for autism. (2016 Autism Speaks Inc.)
▪ Many children who are living with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) need
services and support as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. According
to CDC, report on Autism the hispanic children are less likely to be identified
with “ASD” than caucasian or African American children. (CDC,2016)
▪ The rising prevalence rate is reflected in the number of clinical visits and
patients being seen. ASD is diagnosed when an individual has problems with
social communication and repetitive behaviors. (CDC, 2016)

12. PURPOSE
▪ The purpose of this project is to address sensory
integration at the Frankie Lemmon School &
Developmental Center with children ages three to
five with (ASD) autism to contribute to better
quality of life.

13. OBJECTIVES
By the end of the project, 80% of the participants/ student group
will demonstrate improved sensorimotor skills by:
▪ 70% of the participants will demonstrate tactile tolerance by
holding the recorder bilaterally
▪ 65% of the participants will demonstrate oral tolerance being
able to place recorder in mouth
▪ 50% of the participants will demonstrate breath control by
producing a sound
▪ 40% of the participants will be able to sustain a note

14. OUTCOMES
Short Terms: (Learning)
● Learning
● Perceptions
● Awareness
● Skills
Medium Term: (Change in
Behavior)
● Task Organization
● Train the ASD system
● Organize breath control
Long Term: (Change in
Health)
● Reduction of stress
● Stabilization
● Coordination
● Flexibility

15. Project Activities
▪ Conducted needs assessment
▪ Developed special project
▪ Plan & Implemented song activity for each group
▪ Evaluated the sessions
▪ Establish weekly notes
▪ Future goal to share findings with other
agencies/organizations

16. METHODS
▪ Target population: Children ages (3-5) with autism at Frankie Lemmon School &
Developmental Center
▪ Literature Review, conducted key informant interviews, and needs assessment
▪ No Recruitment (chose population based on the music therapy settings)
▪ Used Spreadsheet Microsoft excel to keep track of data weekly
Theoretical framework: Eurhythmics-based Sensorimotor Movement Intervention-
Music Based Treatment

17. Sensorimotor- Music Based Treatment
EURHYTHMICS: GOAL
C.O.P.I.N.G.- CALM- ORGANIZED-PACED-INTEGRATED- GROWTH
-REDUCTION
-STABILIZATION
-AUDITORY

18. DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Participants: 29
Age Range: 3-5 years
(3) Student Groups:
3’s- 11
4’s- 8
5’s- 10
Ethnicity:
African American- 4
White, Hispanic/Latino, or Native American- 25

19. N=29
FINDINGS

20. Task Analysis
N=29

21. RESULTS
wk 1 wk 2 wk 3 wk 4 wk 5 Goal
Task 1: Holds recorder independently 71% 69% 92% 96% 100% - 80%
Task 2: Holds recorder bilaterally 50% 50% 85% 88% 88% - 70%
Task 3: Oral tolerance of recorder 71% 58% 89% 79% 81% - 65%
Task 4: Intentional production of sound 58% 50% 58% 42% 46% - 50%
Successful (those who were able to independently complete the task)
Unsuccessful (Did not complete the task/ prompted)
Absent: Not in attendance for the activity

22. Moving Forward - Health Goals
▪ Early Intervention will enable children with autism to reach their full potential
▪ Raise awareness in the community:
1. Strengthen the wellbeing of individuals and families through education and support
groups (caregivers, parents, etc.)
2. Partner with community resources to increase access to treatment services
3. Increase frequency of doctor visits after birth to obtain proper screening and
evaluation
4. Advocate for licensure in NC for Music Therapy (Creating more jobs for music
therapy and those with developmental disabilities after age twenty one they will be
able to work and have opportunities to stay involved)
5. Implement Music ToolKit (Resource guide, instrument, activities for home)

23. REFERENCES
▪ Division of Birth Defects, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/index.html (CDC,
2016). Retrieved. on April 14, 2016
▪ Lauzon, P. (2011). Anatomy of a Musical Being: A Music Systems Theory of Music
Therapy. Voices: A World Forum For Music Therapy, 11(1). doi:10.15845/voices.v11i1.
163. Retrieved. on April 18, 2016
▪ Berger, D.S. (2008) “Music Therapy, Sensory Integration and the Autistic Child”, United
Kingdom. Jessica Kingsley Publishers
▪ Berger, D.S. (2016)., “Eurhythmics for autism and other nuerophysiologic diagnosis: a
sensorimotor music-based treatment approach. London N1 9BE, UK, by Jessica Kingsley
Publishers
▪ American Music Therapy Association, Inc.,(2008) Williams, B. Davis Gfeller, E. Kate,
Thaut, H. Michael “An Introduction to Music Therapy Theory and Practice, 3rd Edition.

24. CAMELLIA GARDENS TAP UNLIMITED/ Aphasia
Group
FRANKIE LEMMON
SHELLEY’s HARP / MT Intern
Rhythm & Rehab, HANDBELLS WAKEMED Visit Stroke Patients

26. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dr. Dorita S. Berger (Preceptor)
Mrs. Paula Scicluna (Preceptor)
RHYTHM & REHAB STAFF (Clients, Parents, caregivers, Teachers)
Frankie Lemmons (all sites)
NCCU PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT FACULTY
FAMILY/FRIENDS
2016 COHORT