Parents of Deaf Children (PODC) is opposing proposed changes to access for music therapy in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and is urging people to sign a petition in protest.
PODC joins the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA), which has secured a meeting with NDIS Minister Mr Bill Shorten on 6 December, and The Greens who are concerned planned changes to music and art therapies for NDIS participants will reduce access.
AMTA president Ms Monica Zidar said on 25 November 2024: “We urge Minister Shorten to reverse the unfair and unfounded decision to remove music therapy as a therapy support, which will devastatingly affect over 8,000 families across the country.”
The NDIS said that while art and music therapy would remain allowed, there was insufficient evidence of their effectiveness to improve disability-related function to be classified as a “therapy” under the new definition of NDIS supports from 1 February 2025.
Participants could still access them through their community participation budget, the NDIS said, at a one-to-one rate of $67.56 an hour when delivered by a registered provider or a group rate of $193.99 an hour when delivered to a minimum of four participants by a registered provider.
“Participants who have art or music therapy stated in their plan, because it is reasonable and necessary and based on evidence in their specific circumstances, can continue to access supports at the higher rate,” the NDIS statement said.
“The allowable NDIS list includes ‘evidence-based therapy to help participants improve or maintain their functional capacity in areas such as language and communication, personal care, mobility and movement, interpersonal interactions, functioning (including psychosocial functioning) and community living.”
But PODC cited evidence to support benefits of music therapy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHoH) children, including improved speech-in-noise perception, psychosocial benefits and improved listening skills.
A vital tool for growth and development
PODC is a non-profit organisation that supports families with babies, children and teenagers with hearing loss in NSW and the ACT.
“We know how much music therapy has meant to our families and their children,” PODC president Ms Suzanne Robertson said. “That’s why we stand with the Australian Music Therapy Association in calling for the NDIS to pause this decision and truly understand the benefits music therapy brings to people with disability.
“Music therapy isn’t just a “nice-to-have”— it’s a vital tool that supports the growth and development of children with disabilities, including those in our community.
“Over the years, so many of our families have used music therapy, and we’ve seen the incredible difference it makes in the lives of children with disability, including those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.”
Robertson said that for many families, music therapy was more than just an activity; it was a way for their children to connect, grow, and thrive.
AMTA also said music therapy was an evidence-based allied health profession with strong evidence that it changed lives by improving movement, cognition and thinking, communication, social connection, behaviour and self-regulation.
It wants the decision paused, an independent review initiated to ensure fairness and transparency, and participants’ choice to be protected.
“AMTA and its members hold grave concerns for NDIS participants who receive music therapy under this (community participation) category. We fear the benefits they experience, and the goals they are working to achieve, will be jeopardised,” it said.
“We are deeply concerned that participants’ and registered providers’ trust in the NDIA will be undermined. We make this statement on their behalf and on behalf of the 950 registered music therapists in Australia, many of whom are also NDIS registered providers.”
Evidence of benefits
PODC secretary Dr Chi Lo is currently affiliated with the Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, and the Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University. His PhD dissertation was conducted at the Australian Hearing Hub, Sydney, with the HEARing CRC, Melbourne, and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney.
Dr Lo said research from 2020 that he had led showed that music training for children with sensorineural hearing loss improved speech-in-noise perception.
Other research from 2022 showed there were psychosocial benefits of music training for children with hearing loss.
A third study provided evidence that music improved listening skills. After 12 weeks of music training, it found children with hearing loss were better at listening, particularly in noisy environments.
Other researchers involved in the three studies were audiologist Dr Valerie Looi, a leading expert in music appreciation and hearing loss; Director of the Music, Sound and Performance Laboratory at Macquarie University Distinguished Professor Willliam Forde Thompson; and Macquarie University Professor of Audiology Catherine McMahon.
PODC said benefits of music therapy for DHoH children included:
- Building communication skills: Music is a wonderful tool for learning. Whether it’s the rhythm and repetition helping with speech and listening in an auditory-verbal approach, or Auslan signing paired with musical patterns, music therapy provides a fun and engaging way to develop communication skills.
- Boosting social and emotional wellbeing: Helping children connect with others, especially in group settings, and express their emotions. For children who might find it hard to share how they’re feeling, music can be an outlet that builds their confidence and sense of belonging.
- Supporting physical development. Activities such as drumming, clapping, or dancing help improve coordination and motor skills. Feeling the beat of a drum or vibrations of music can be a sensory experience that’s enjoyable and therapeutic.
- Exploring music through vibration: Deaf children often experience music in unique ways — like feeling the vibrations of a bass through the floor or the rhythm of a drum in their hands. These tactile experiences make music accessible and allow children to experience its magic in their own way.
- Strengthening cognitive skills: Learning a rhythm, remembering a sequence, or playing along with an instrument builds memory, focus, and problem-solving skills. These are valuable life skills that go beyond the music session.
- Unleashing creativity: Music therapy encourages children to express themselves in creative ways. For many, it’s an opportunity to explore their talents, build confidence, and feel proud of their achievements.
Experts from Western Sydney University’s Master of Creative Music Therapy program, Dr Allison Fuller and Associate Professor Alison Short, said the decision jeopardised evidence-based therapeutic outcomes for NDIS participants, and viability of music therapy training programs to meet Australia’s skilled workforce needs.
Changes will ‘significantly reduce access’
The Australian Greens said on 27 November, they were “deeply concerned about the impact of hasty changes to the NDIS” and the changes would “significantly reduce disabled people’s access to widely utilised music and art therapies”.
They are calling for the NDIS to establish its Evidence Advisory Committee before implementing the changes. The EAC will have a role in providing advice on the evidence base for therapeutic supports accessed through the NDIS, including assessment of outcomes and value.
This committee won’t be established until mid-2025 but The Greens are calling for the government to properly assess the therapies, rather than a “rushed job that meets their budgetary goals while leaving disabled people worse off.”
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services said defining all music and art-based therapy as not evidence-based was an ignorant assumption about disability support.
“I have heard from NDIS participants that being able to undertake art and music therapies is very meaningful to them and that they have seen improvements in their wellbeing, their motor skills, and their capacity to communicate with others.
“Engaging in any type of therapy requires significant time and energy. Nobody wants those therapies to succeed more than us, as disabled people. Implying that disabled people are purposefully engaging in therapies to waste time and money greatly disrespects our agency.”
He said providers felt like the rug had been pulled from under them and were shocked by this significant change to their industry.
Music therapist and speech pathologist Ms Robyn Fernandez-Baca has started a petition which has nearly reached 50,000 signatures urging music to be kept as an NDIS funded therapeutic support.
