"Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program." -American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)

Music therapists involve children in a variety of music interventions including singing, playing, listening, and moving to music. They explore which styles of music, techniques,and instruments are most effective or motivating for each individual child in order to address developmental areas of need. Music therapists develop a rapport with children. They observe the child's behavior and interactions and assess communication, cognitive/academic, sensory-motor, and social/emotional skills. After developing realistic goals and target objectives in each developmental domain , music therapists plan and implement systematic music therapy treatment programs with procedures and techniques designed specifically for the individual child. Music therapists document responses, conduct ongoing evaluations of progress, and often make recommendations to other team members and the family regarding progress and ways to include successful music therapy techniques in other aspects of the child's life.

Music therapy offers children with special needs the opportunity to develop a wide range of life skills in the areas of communication, cognition, socialization, motor coordination, and sensory processing due to music's UNIQUE ability to activate and facilitate change in the brain.

During the past two decades, new brain imaging techniques produced two significant findings:

A professional music therapist holds a bachelor's degree or higher in music therapy from one of over 70 American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) approved college and university programs. The curriculum for the bachelor's degree is designed to impart entry level competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and music therapy foundations and principles as specified in the AMTA Professional Competencies.

In addition to the academic coursework, the bachelor's degree requires 1200 hours of clinical training, including a supervised internship. Graduate degrees in Music Therapy focus on advanced clinical practice and research. Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, music therapists are eligible to sit for the national board certification exam to obtain the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist - Board Certified) which is necessary for professional practice. The credential MT-BC is granted by a separate, accredited organization, the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), to identify music therapists who have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to practice at the current level of the profession. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.