Lise Lotte Berg Ågedal: Improved speech after music therapy with customized singing

Field of study: Music Therapy

Summary

The most common developmental disorders in children are language delay. The aim of this pilot study is to research whether music therapy, through singing pre-composed articulation songs and vocal improvisation, can stimulate and improve speech abilities in children with phonological speech disorders. Children with phonological speech disorders have difficulties in learning the sound system of speech and pronouncing words correctly.

This is a pilot study. No previous studies have a similar research design, selection, intervention and measurement methods. The results from this study may set the framework (provide guidelines) for further work.

The research question is:

Can music therapy with customized singing improve speech intelligibility for preschool children with phonological speech difficulties? What directions for further development for a follow-up study does this pilot study suggest?

The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The 23 children participating in the survey are randomly allocated into two groups; 11 in a test group and 12 in a control group. The children in the study are between four and six years of age.

The study has a mixed-methods design.

The dissertation

Title (translated from Norwegian: Improved speech after music therapy with customized singing. A randomized controlled pilot study (RCT).

The dissertation comprises a monograph and 19 songs specially made for the study.

The dissertation is available in NMH's digital archive. The 19 songs are attached to the dissertation, and they can also be played from NMH SoundCloud.

The dissertation is written in Norwegian.