Katie Eshleman first discovered music’s therapeutic powers when she had a bad day in middle school. She erased her adolescent angst by shutting herself in her bedroom and singing show tunes. Years later, Eshleman saw music’s healing effect on children with autism, cerebral palsy and crumbling home lives. Then she witnessed its dramatic impact on her own 3-year-old daughter, Carly, who has a speech delay called apraxia.

Eshleman, a music therapist, watched helplessly as Carly struggled to communicate, her mounting frustration erupting in frequent toddler tantrums. The Quarryville, Pa.-mother of three, once again turned to music, making up simple songs to describe Carly’s everyday routine.

When she tried leaving blanks in the songs, Carly filled them in. Soon the little girl began repeating phrases from the songs. Spurred by Carly’s success, Eshleman hopes to help other parents of children with special needs.

Her new CD, “Sing Out!,” features 12 songs – including eight originals – designed to help children master simple sounds during daily activities, like meals and playtime.

“I just knew music could make a difference,” Eshleman says.

Eshleman, 34, grew up in a musical family in New Jersey. Her mother, she says, has a beautiful singing voice, and her brother recorded a folk-music CD.  Even before she knew exactly what a music therapist did, she wanted to be one.

In 2001, Eshleman earned a master’s degree in music therapy. Her training included learning to play the piano and guitar. Music therapy is becoming increasingly popular, but, Eshleman says, “People still look at me like, ‘You’re a music what?’”

She focuses on young people with special needs, from at-risk adolescents to children on the autism spectrum. Singing or playing instruments with a therapist provides an outlet for creative and emotional expression, she says. It can also boost academic skills and even self-esteem. But Eshleman — who currently stays home with her daughters, five-year-old Skylar, and one-year old twins Carly and Jordan — never expected music to make such a profound impact in her own child’s life.

At age 2, Carly didn’t say a word. She didn’t even babble.

Eshleman and her husband Jason, a teacher, consulted four speech therapists. They all offered the same diagnosis: childhood apraxia of speech, an oral-motor planning disorder. Essentially, Eshleman says, Carly’s brain knows what she wants to say, but her mouth has trouble forming the sounds.

After Carly’s diagnosis, Eshleman was so inundated with suggestions that she found herself doing nothing at all. So she turned to a strategy that came naturally: music.

Eshleman’s simple songs, which mark her first foray into writing music, supplement Carly’s intensive speech therapy. Carly has made tremendous progress, which Eshleman expects to continue. The 12 stripped-down tracks on “Sing Out!” feature Eshleman strumming a guitar and singing in a clear, strong voice. The songs highlight sounds that are usually easiest to produce: “M,” “B,” “P” and “W.”

Speech-encouraging strategies hide behind sweet, silly lyrics in tunes like “Open the Window” and “No Bubbles in My Eyes.” The music is slowed down to give children time to think through and form the sounds.

Eshleman will donate copies of “Sing Out!” to local nonprofit agencies for children with special needs. But she says the CD can encourage speech in all young children. She hopes to sell enough copies to start work on a second CD, this time with “S,” “T,” “D” and “Z” songs.

Source: Mary Beth Schweigert/Lancaster Newspapers