• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.25-41
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• 2009

The purpose of this case study is to examine how group rhythmic playing can help enhance imitation skills for 3 children with developmental disabilities aged between 30-50 months. The program was composed of social musical play, the therapist's imitating the way young children played musical instruments, and the young children's imitating the way the therapist played musical instruments. Every session was videotaped, and the researcher and two music therapists checked the videotaped sessions to ensure the reliability of findings. The case study demonstrated the following results. First, the three young children who participated in the playing of rhythmic musical instruments showed an increase in imitation behaviors. Second, the infants exhibited the greatest change from 1 beat imitation according to the degree of difficulty of group rhythm musical instrument demonstrated. Third, the most radical change in the infants' ability to imitate appeared in Sessions 3-7 where the therapist imitated the operation and a performance of the infant. In conclusion, the activity of playing rhythmic musical instruments in a group generated improvement in the imitation ability of young children with developmental disabilities.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2018

We need to understand the outcomes into adulthood for survivors born either extremely low birthweight (ELBW; <1,000 g) or extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks' gestational age), particularly their blood pressure and cardiovascular metabolic status,respiratory function, growth, psychological and mental health performance, and functional outcomes. Blood pressure is higher in late adolescence and early adulthood in ELBW/EP survivors compared with controls. In some studies, expreterm survivors have higher insulin and blood lipid concentrations than controls, which may also increase their risk for later cardiovascular disease. ELBW/EP survivors have more expiratory airflow obstruction than do controls. Those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the newborn period have even worse lung function than those who did not have BPD. As a group, they are unlikely to achieve their full lung growth potential, which means that more of them are likely to develop chronic obstructive airway disease in later life. Although they are smaller than term born controls, their weight gradually rises and ultimately reaches a mean z-score close to zero in late adolescence, and they ultimately attain a height z-score close to their mid-parental height z-score. On average, ex-preterm survivors have intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and performance on tests of academic achievement approximately 2/3 SD lower than do controls, and they also perform less well on tests of attention and executive function. They have similar high rates of anxiety and depression symptoms in late adolescence as do controls. They are, however, over-represented in population registries for rarer disorders such as schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In cohort studies, ex-preterm survivors mostly report good quality of life and participation in daily activities, and they report good levels of self-esteem. In population studies, they require higher levels of economic assistance, such as disability pensions, they do not achieve education levels as high as controls, fewer are married, and their rates of reproduction are lower, at least in early adulthood. Survivors born ELBW/EP will present more and more to health carers in adulthood, as they survive in larger numbers.