Musicoterapia na educação musical especial de portadores de atraso do desenvolvimento leve e moderado na rede regular de ensino

Abstract

The history of the inclusion of children with special needs in differentlevels of the education dates from the second half of the XVIII century. Initially we reviewed the inadequacy of the terms used to define the disability condition of these children, before the worldwide adoption of the concept of developmental delay. Then, an attempt was made to identify the different educational conceptions attributed to the developmental delay disability. Theories on human development, predominant from the XVIII century through the beginning of the XX century were approached, such as preformationism, predeterminism, environmentalism and interactionism. It includes a historical background of the intervention of music therapy in special education, describing the use of music in the process of identification and educational development of this population. A brief history of the Special Education in Brazil describes aspects of the New Law of Guidelines and Bases of the National Education, chapter V, items 58 and 59, that are relevant for this study, specifying the didactic warranties and the necessary special resources for the assistance of these students. In the second chapter, models internationally used in the diagnosis and classification of development delay are presented: the Manual of Diagnosis and Statistics of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-R), the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR). This study focused particularly mild and moderate development delay, the population commonly found in music classes at pre-school and elementary school levels of institutions that include special education. We emphasized neurological aspects of the cognitive development and adaptive functioning that influence the acquisition of musical abilities by those children. Some aspects of the development of the nervous system in the critical period are described through studies on neuroplasticity that emphasize the need of a precocious therapeutic and educational intervention in those cases. Illustrations of the specific functioning of each of the two half of the brain are included, as well as of the organization of the hearing system, the path of the music stimulus before reaching the primary hearing cortex, the cortical areas involved in the perception and aspects of the plasticity of the hearing cortex in comparisons between musicians and non musician. Finally we presented the practical results made possible by this study. A comprehensive bibliographical review and the mapping of the developmental theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, allowed us to deduce strategies and methodological adaptations of exercises for the practice of the musical education of those children. Practical applications of these strategies were elucidated by reporting illustrative case of music therapy intervention in special music education, analyzed by means of the theoretical background presented in this work.