after sufficient time to make your choice, you have decided to be in the study.

that come to mind now. Later, if you have questions about the study, you can contact Principal Investigator Anne Crean at (631)375-2268 or [email protected], or Dr. Heather Wagner at [email protected]

What are my rights as a research participant?

You have rights as a research participant. All research with human participants is reviewed by a committee called the Institutional Review Board (IRB) which works to protect your rights and welfare.

If you have questions about your rights, an unresolved question, a concern or complaint about this research you may contact the IRB contact the Molloy IRB office at [email protected] or call 516 323 3000.

Documentation of Informed Consent:

You are freely making a decision whether to be in this research study. Signing this form means that

1. you have read and understood this consent form 2. you have had your questions answered, and

3. after sufficient time to make your choice, you have decided to be in the study.

You will be given a copy of this consent form to keep.

Your signature Date

Your printed name Date

Signature of researcher explaining study Date

Printed name of researcher explaining study

Appendix D

Music Therapy

1000 Hempstead Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (631)375-2268

Title of Study: Group Dynamics of Autistic Children in DIR Improvisational Music Therapy

This study is being conducted by: Anne Crean, MT-BC ([email protected]); Dr. Heather Wagner ([email protected])

Key Information about this study:

This consent form is designed to inform you about the study you are being asked to participate in. Here you will find a brief summary about the study; however you can find more detailed information later on in the form.

·

Why am I being asked to take part in this study?

Your clinical work with music therapy groups at The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy is being considered for a case study seeking to gain an understanding of group dynamics of Autistic children receiving DIR-based music therapy.

What will I be asked to do?

The researcher is requesting access to your clinical video and documentation of a music therapy group of 2-4 Autistic children aged 8-12.

Where is the study going to take place, and how long will it take?

This study will take place at Molloy College and will be completed in May 2019.

What are the risks and discomforts?

The only risk for this study is a breach of confidentiality. However, as the researcher will be using the same secure file sharing site as The Rebecca Center, there are no more risks than are typical in having your child’s music therapy sessions video recorded.

What are the expected benefits of this research? This research is expected to provide insight to how interpersonal relationships in music therapy groups support the growth of the participants and how those relationships manifest in the music. This knowledge can guide future music

therapists to implement improved treatment, and provide direction for future research on the effectiveness of group music therapy.

Individual Benefits:

There are no direct individual benefits of this study to its participants

Do I have to take part in this study?

Your participation in this research is your choice. If you decide to participate in the study, you may change your mind and stop participating at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are already entitled.

What are the alternatives to being in this study?

Instead of being in this research, you may choose not to participate.

Who will have access to my information?

The researcher and will have access to videos of the music therapy group through box.com which is the secure file sharing website used at The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy. Any identifying information will be removed from clinical documentation and the research narrative. Two other music therapists will review the videos and data analysis to verify the results of the study. The researcher and other music therapists are not permitted to download video and must view the video on box.com. After the termination of the study the researcher or verifiers will no longer have access to the video files.

How will my [information/biospecimens] be used?

Your data will be used to implement a qualitative analysis of the music therapy sessions identifying patterns and changes in interactions overtime. The results of this study may be published in a music therapy journal or presented at professional conferences.

To ensure that this research activity is being conducted properly, Molloy College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), whose members are responsible for the protection of human subjects’ rights for all Molloy-approved research protocols, have the right to review study records, but confidentiality will be maintained as allowed by law.

Can my participation in the study end early?

You may choose to withdraw from this study at any time without penalty. Will I receive any compensation for participating in the study? No

What if I have questions?

Before you decide whether you’d like to participate in this study, please ask any questions that come to mind now. Later, if you have questions about the study, you can contact Principal Investigator Anne Crean at (631)375-2268 or [email protected], or Dr. Heather Wagner at [email protected]

You have rights as a research participant. All research with human participants is reviewed by a committee called the Institutional Review Board (IRB) which works to protect your rights and welfare.

If you have questions about your rights, an unresolved question, a concern or complaint about this research you may contact the IRB contact the Molloy IRB office at [email protected] or call 516 323 3000.

Documentation of Informed Consent:

You are freely making a decision whether to be in this research study. Signing this form means that

1. you have read and understood this consent form 2. you have had your questions answered, and

3. after sufficient time to make your choice, you have decided to be in the study.

You will be given a copy of this consent form to keep.

Your signature Date

Your printed name Date

Signature of researcher explaining study Date

Printed name of researcher explaining study

Appendix E

From “Articulating the Dynamics of Music Therapy Group Improvisations,” by K. McFerran and T. Wigram, 2005, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 14(1), p. 33-46. Copyright (2005) by Taylor & Francis. Reprinted with permission (Appendix F).

Music Therapy Group Improvisation Analysis Model (MTGI- AM) (McFerran & Wigram, 2005)

Level of Analysis

Listening Process Description Process

Open A controlled and focused listening is undertaken to solicit broad impressions of the music that do not include metaphorical or symbolic meanings.

A narrative is written that describes the personal response of the listener to the musical material using a 'stream of consciousness' method.

Musical Listening is focused on the musical properties identified as relevant within the improvisation and

attention is paid to the changing or consistent nature of these

properties throughout the course of the improvisation.

A narrative is written that articulates the identified musical characteristics

using carefully defined terminology. This may include verbal interactions

as well as descriptions of properties such as rhythmic grounds, rhythmic patterns, volume, instrumentation,

speed, melodic figures, texture and embellishments.

Intramusical Listening is directed by the profiles of Bruscia's IAPs (1987) and numeric values are attributed to the scales considered relevant by the listener across all profiles.

A narrative is generated by writing sentences about each of the scores within the relevant profiles using

keywords from the IAPs.

Group Leader's Music

Listening is focused on the musical material of the group leader and considers the music

A narrative is written that describes the musical material of the group leader and the empathic, eliciting, structuring, redirecting and

therapy techniques used as well as musical

interactions with other instrumental lines.

procedural techniques used (Bruscia, 1987).

Final A final listening is undertaken that allows the focus to return to the 'whole' improvisation, directed by the material that has been heard in previous levels.

A distilling process is used that identifies the essential aspects of the material generated through the previous four levels of listening. The final narrative is used as the basis for the verification procedure.

Appendix F

Anne Crean<[email protected]>

Mon, Oct 15, 8:07 PM

to Katrina, [email protected]

Dear Dr. McFerran and Dr. Wigram,

My name is Anne Crean, I’m a graduate music therapy student at Molloy College and currently writing my thesis. I plan to investigate the mechanisms of group music therapy with Autistic children in a DIR/Floortime Improvisational Music Therapy setting. While conducting my literature review I found your article “Articulating the Dynamics of Music Therapy Group Improvisations.” I’m reaching out today to request your permission to use the Music Therapy Group Improvisation Analysis Model as my main mode of musical analysis.

Best,

Anne Crean, MT-BC

Katrina Skewes McFerran<[email protected]>

Mon, Oct 15, 10:17 PM

to Anne

You are certainly welcome to. Let me know how it goes. Best wishes, Katrina

Dr Katrina Skewes McFerran RMT Professor, Music Therapy