Pang’s Music Assisted Training (PMAT)
Pang’s Music Assisted Training (PMAT) is the method that we use to facilitate the development in children with special needs.
Our method differs from traditional music therapy practice which focus on psycho-social functioning, the PMAT is a comprehensive training pedagogy that incorporates behavioral music therapy, neurologic music therapy and enriched use of music activities in the training of speech, attention, cognitive, psycho-social, sensory integration as well as motor coordination skills.
A tailored made training program would be offered after the initial consultation with our Centre Director Mr. Pang.
PMAT, perhaps, is most effective to facilitate speech with the non-verbal kids. Music stimulates the pleasure system in the brain, thus driving the “singing” software to work. The therapeutic use of music and singing is able to speed up the learning of receptive and expressive speech. The elements of melody and rhythm are able to regulate speech use, thus, improving articulation, intonation as well as rhythm in speech.
Music is by far the most reliable sound stimulus that captures attention in children, With the use of enriched use of music and music instruments, the attention system in the brain is driven to work continually. The time constrained quality of music requires attention to be sustained, making it the best thing for auditory attention training.
Children with sensory processing problems could find it difficult to establish social relationship. For example, children with ASD have poor skills in understanding of speech and facial recognition. They would also find looking at people eyes stressful. When music serves as a non-verbal communication tool, it also soothes their anxiety making it a safe and pleasurable environment for social skill training to take place.
Scientific evidence has established that music (especially rhythm) is able to drive the motor system in action. It also is able to regulate motor coordination through its repetitive nature. The playing of various music instruments is an excellent way of structuring different objectives in motor training.
Employing the techniques in Neurologic Music Therapy, we have developed music tasks in the training of visual tracking skill, notation reading skill, auditory perception skill as well as auditory memory skill. Besides, music is a fun way of learning cognitive concepts such as colors, numbers, letters and labeling etc.
The acquisition of music skills naturally requires motor, cognitive, psycho-social and attention skills. While we use music to facilitate non-music skills, children are able to learn about music along the way. Music is one of the eight intelligences according to the multi-intelligence theory, our training could well prepare children with special needs to advance in music skills.