Assessment and Treatment Planning Flashcards

A music therapist notices that a client consistently shows elevated heart rate and agitation during up-tempo music but calm breathing during slow, legato music. How should this physiological data influence treatment planning?

Answer: Use slow, legato music as a therapeutic tool for relaxation-based goals

Observed physiological responses to music are valid assessment data; preferring music that produces calm responses should directly inform the selection of musical stimuli in the treatment plan.

Which ethical principle is MOST at risk if a music therapist establishes treatment goals without involving the client in the planning process?

Answer: Autonomy

Autonomy—the client's right to self-determination—is directly violated when treatment goals are set without the client's informed participation.

An MT-BC working with older adults in a memory care unit wants to assess music recognition. Which approach is most appropriate for this population?

Answer: Play recorded familiar songs and observe behavioral and verbal responses

Playing familiar music and observing responses is ecologically valid and accessible for individuals with dementia who may have intact long-term musical memory but limited verbal or cognitive capacity.

When using a Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) framework, treatment planning for a client with Parkinson's disease would most likely target which primary functional domain?

Answer: Sensorimotor function, particularly gait and rhythmic movement

NMT research strongly supports rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) for improving gait and motor function in Parkinson's disease, making sensorimotor goals the primary NMT focus.

A music therapist is developing short-term objectives for a child with a speech delay. Which objective is written in the MOST measurable and observable way?

Answer: Client will vocalize the final word of a familiar song phrase in 4 out of 5 trials

This objective specifies the target behavior (vocalizing the final word), the condition (familiar song phrase), and the criterion (4/5 trials), making it clearly measurable and observable.

A music therapist is assessing a client's emotional responses during improvisation. Which of the following would be considered a PRIMARY source of assessment data in this scenario?

Answer: Direct therapist observation of the client's musical and behavioral responses during the session

Direct observation of client behavior during the therapeutic interaction is the primary and most ecologically valid source of music therapy assessment data.

In treatment planning, the term 'contraindication' refers to:

Answer: A condition or factor that makes a particular music therapy intervention potentially harmful or inadvisable

A contraindication is any factor—medical, psychological, or situational—that makes a specific intervention inappropriate or risky for a particular client.