Music-Based Therapy Activities for Children
Songs, rhythm and a drum you can actually hold are used to practise attention, requesting and joining a short group — not a concert, and not a registered music-therapy clinic.
Written by the Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center therapy team · medically reviewed by Dr Muhammad Suffyan, MB BS (GMC 8023727) · Last reviewed September 2026
About Music Therapy
Music-based work at Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center in Model Town, Multan uses songs, rhythm and simple instruments to practise attention, requesting and joining a short group. It is not a music school. It is not a registered music-therapy clinic. Contact owner Muhammad Salman Afzal first; faculty includes Mahnoor Baloch. A consultation is Rs 1,500 and lasts up to 50 minutes.
A child who will not sit for a book will often sit for a drum. That is useful. It is not magic. We write small goals: look when the song starts, hit once then wait, choose stop or more. Cochrane’s 2022 review of music therapy for autistic people (Geretsegger and colleagues, CD004381) is about programmes run by music therapists. It found moderate-certainty evidence of global improvement, reduced total autism symptom severity and better quality of life — and no clear difference for social interaction or communication immediately after therapy. We are not that profession. We use songs as a teaching medium the same way we use play.
Sessions run in Urdu or English. You do not need a diagnosis. If a child needs a registered music therapist (a separate profession), we will say so.
Who this is for
- Toddlers and young children who attend more to a song than to spoken instructions
- Autistic children building joint attention, requesting and a goodbye that ends
- ADHD, when a short rhythm burst is kinder than a long sit
- Late talkers who will vocalise in a song before they will in conversation
- Children who need a calm-down routine that is not a screen
- Group-readiness: waiting a turn on a drum before a classroom sit
Is this registered music therapy?
No. Registered music therapy is a licensed profession. We do not employ a registered music therapist. Songs and rhythm here sit inside speech, ABA, school-readiness and psychology sessions. We will not print “NMT” or “BAMT” on a page we have not earned.
If your child needs that profession — for example structured neurologic music therapy after a medical event — we refer rather than improvise.
What a goal actually looks like
Not “loves music”. A goal is visible: starts the drum when asked, stops when the song stops, chooses between two instruments, stays for one more verse. Parents get the same two songs to use at home so the clinic hour is not the only practice.
How it joins the rest of the plan
Mahnoor writes the plan. Speech and requesting often sit with her communication work. School-facing sitting can sit with Akasha. Related: speech therapy, autism support, social skills.
What to try at home this week
One song you already know. Sing a verse. Pause. Wait for a look, a reach or a sound. Then finish. Stop while it is still going well. A saucepan and a wooden spoon will do. A screen is not a session — you can use the song they love, then add a stop and a choice, then the screen comes down. Longer list: music at home. Live help: parent coaching.
If they cover their ears, turn the volume down or use rhythm without a recording. Sensory load is a signal, not a test of toughness. See sensory support.
What the research is actually about
The Cochrane review cited below studied music therapy delivered by trained music therapists, compared with placebo or standard care. It did not study a special-education or ABA team using songs as a teaching medium in Multan. We print it so a parent can see what the evidence is — and what it is not. We will not borrow “NMT”, “BAMT” or “music therapy improves joint attention” for work we do not staff.
How this programme works, in more depth
Each of these pages is one slice of the work — a session, who it is for, or what to try at home — linked back to this service.
What a session actually looks like
- 1You tell us which songs already work at home, and what happens when they stop.
- 2We pick one instrument or one song and one visible goal for the week.
- 3Play, pause, request, stop. The adult does not perform a concert over the child.
- 4You leave with two songs and one rule (stop means stop) to try in the kitchen.
What the research tells us
This isn’t just our opinion — it’s grounded in published research. Here are a few findings from trusted, independent sources:
A 2022 Cochrane review of 26 studies (1,165 autistic participants) found moderate-certainty evidence that music therapy, delivered by music therapists, is associated with global improvement, a reduction in total autism symptom severity and better quality of life immediately after the intervention. It found no clear difference for social interaction, non-verbal communication or verbal communication at that time point (low to very-low certainty). That evidence is about registered music-therapy programmes. Inclusive does not employ a registered music therapist.
— Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews — Geretsegger, Fusar-Poli, Elefant, Mössler, Vitale & Gold (2022), CD004381. View source
Other ways we can help
Speech Therapy
Help for late talkers, unclear speech, stammering and language delay, through play your child enjoys.
Motor & Daily Skills
Motor, handwriting and self-care skills, built up through purposeful play.
ABA Therapy
ABA and positive-behaviour support for autism, ADHD and hard-to-manage behaviour.
Music Therapy: your questions answered
Do you have a registered music therapist?
No. We use songs and rhythm as a teaching medium. If your child needs a registered music therapist, we will say so.
My child only wants YouTube nursery rhymes. Is that this?
A screen is not a session. We still use the song they love, then we add a stop, a wait, a request. The screen comes down.
Will this make my non-speaking child talk?
It can open vocal play. It is not a promise of words. Talking goals stay with speech therapy. Cochrane found no clear difference for verbal communication immediately after music therapy even in programmes run by music therapists.
They tantrum when the song stops.
That is useful. Stopping is the skill. Warn, then stop, then wait. Recovering from a no is school-readiness too — school readiness.
Which language should the songs be in?
The language they hear most at home. Urdu, English, or both. We count communication across both, not just one.
Worried about your child? Let’s talk.
A short, friendly conversation is the best first step. Call, text or WhatsApp us — we’ll listen and guide you, with no pressure.
MPS Road, Block A Model Town, Multan (near Bloomfield Hall School, Street No. 2) · Mon–Fri, 2 PM – 6 PM