Perspectives of Future Professionals in Music Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology on Interprofessional Collaboration in an Inclusive Setting: A Follow-Up Study

Abstract University students’ perspectives of their facilitation of an inclusive social skills music camp were the primary focus of this investigation. Across 2 years of data, five future music therapists and five future speech-language pathologists co-led a week-long camp for a total of 31 children with and without autism. The camp was held once a year. Social skill goals were addressed using a combination of therapy techniques from both fields. All university students completed an individual questionnaire and participated in a group interview about their experiences. Across both cohorts of university students, themes from the questionnaire included strengths and benefits of the camp as well as challenges encountered during the experience. Themes from the group interviews for both cohorts included the benefits of collaboration, challenges during collaboration, and comments about the camp and campers. Students also commented on camp logistics and future adaptations for the camp. Findings are discussed in light of programmatic changes in the content and organizational structure of the camp. Future directions and recommendations for colleagues interested in pursuing similar interprofessional educational and practice experiences for their students are addressed.