Music therapy is the evidence-based clinical use of music to accomplish individualized non-musical goals — communication, motor skills, social interaction, sensory processing, and more. Our board-certified music therapist designs every session around your child's specific needs and plan of care.
Music therapy is a clinical, evidence-based practice. The therapist holds a Board Certification in Music Therapy (MT-BC) from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) and uses music-based interventions to address non-musical goals — communication, motor skills, sensory regulation, social interaction, and cognition.
We also offer music lessons as an elective enrichment service focused on musicianship, instrument technique, and the joy of making music. These are separate services with different providers, credentials, and purposes.
If you're looking for elective music lessons, visit our Music Lessons page.
Therapeutic singing, oral-motor exercises, and singable stories are used to support articulation, verbal communication, and expressive language. Music naturally engages the motor and language systems simultaneously — making it a powerful complement to speech therapy.
Instrument playing, movement activities, and rhythm-based exercises are used to develop gross and fine motor skills, build strength and endurance, and improve balance, posture, and coordination.
Instrumental improvisation, musical games, and structured group activities provide safe, engaging contexts for developing social skills, emotional awareness, self-expression, and the ability to navigate shared experiences.
Musical instruments are used to practice attention, visual tracking, and memory. Songs and musical games reinforce academic concepts — letters, numbers, colors, rhyming, counting — in ways that are memorable and motivating.
Instruments provide controlled auditory, visual, and tactile stimulation. Sessions are designed to support sensory integration, help children tolerate and organize sensory input, and build a calmer, more regulated state for learning.
Structured musical activities — with clear starts, stops, and transitions — give children repeated, low-stakes opportunities to practice focus, impulse control, waiting, and emotional regulation in a motivating format.
We discuss your child's profile, your goals, and whether music therapy is a good fit. We also cover payment options including FES-UA.
A free, no-commitment visit: tour of our space, clinical observation of your child, and a conversation about your concerns and priorities.
The music therapist reviews your child's history and meets with your family to identify needs, strengths, and preferences. Assessment findings determine whether music therapy is recommended and which goals to target.
We create an individualized plan with non-musical goals tied to your child's clinical needs — communication, motor, social/emotional, cognitive, or sensory — across relevant domains.
60-minute sessions tailored to your child's goals, using instruments, singing, movement, and improvisation. Caregivers receive updates after each session with home-carry strategies.
Answers to the questions parents ask us most during intake.
Music therapy is a clinical service. The therapist holds the MT-BC credential and uses music to address non-musical goals — communication, motor skills, sensory regulation, or social interaction. Music lessons are elective enrichment focused on technique and enjoyment. We offer both, but they are completely separate services with different providers, credentials, and purposes.
Sessions are provided by a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), credentialed by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). This requires an approved degree, a minimum of 1,200 supervised clinical hours, and passing a national board exam. Florida does not currently license music therapists as a state-regulated profession — the MT-BC is the established national standard of competence in the field.
Yes. Step Up's purchasing guidance lists board-certified music therapy as a specialized service eligible under FES-UA. Families book through the EMA Marketplace. Always verify current eligibility in the Step Up handbook for your scholarship year, as program rules can change.
Yes — and it is often especially effective for non-verbal and minimally verbal children. Music engages communication pathways that do not depend on words. Rhythm, vocalization, instrument play, and movement can all be used to build intentional communication, even without spoken language.
Sessions are individualized and goal-directed. Your child might play percussion instruments to work on motor coordination, sing to support articulation, improvise on a keyboard to practice turn-taking, or move to rhythm to build body awareness. Everything is purposeful — the music is the vehicle, not the goal.
Yes — and the combination is often powerful. Music therapy can run as a co-treatment alongside speech or OT, or as a standalone service that reinforces goals from other sessions. Our clinical team coordinates directly to keep goals aligned across services.
No musical ability or interest is required. Music therapy does not depend on talent or prior exposure to music. The therapist selects instruments, sounds, and activities based entirely on your child's goals and sensory profile — not on musicianship. Many children who initially resist music become highly motivated participants within a few sessions.
Tell us about your child and we'll help you decide if music therapy is a good fit. Free Family Orientation, no commitment. Therapy services may require coverage authorization.
Music therapy services at Speech and Language Connection Services LLC are provided by a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), credentialed by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). The MT-BC credential requires completion of an approved music therapy degree program, a minimum of 1,200 supervised clinical hours, and passing the CBMT national board examination.
The State of Florida does not currently license music therapists as a regulated healthcare profession. Music therapy is not a licensed profession under Florida Statutes Chapters 456 or 468. The MT-BC is a nationally recognized professional certification — not a Florida state license — and represents the established standard of competence in the field.
Music therapy services at this clinic are provided within the scope of the MT-BC credential and are consistent with the standards of practice established by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Sessions address non-musical clinical goals as defined in each child's individualized plan of care, and are coordinated with the clinical team when provided alongside speech or occupational therapy.
