NDIS Evidence Advisory
Committee review
Art and Music therapy
January 2026
ECIA VIC/TAS acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and pays respect to elders past and present. We pay respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their families, and we commit to creating a future where every child is valued, safe and an empowered member of their community.
Table of Contents
About us
Early Childhood Intervention Australia VIC/TAS welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee consultation on Music and Art Therapy.
ECIA VIC/TAS have worked closely with the Early Childhood Intervention sector for 40 years, providing support, networking, training and ensuring best practice approaches are promoted and used.
As a membership-based organization, we amplify the voices of children, families and practitioners hearing directly from them the successes and challenges they face. We represent a broad cross section of people who are connected to communities and services.
At our member forums and through consultation with members, we hear of the experiences of families and the service providers working with them. We are in a unique position to hear all sides of this story.
Sally Moore Chief Executive Officer Sally.moore@eciavic.org.au
Recommendations
- Music therapy delivered by music therapist registered with AMTA continue to be included as an evidence-based therapy funded by the NDIS through Capacity Building Category and included in the NDIS Early Childhood Approach
- Art therapy delivered by an art therapist registered with ANZCATA continues to be included as an evidence-based therapy funded by the NDIS through Capacity Building Category and included in the NDIS Early Childhood Approach
- Music therapy hourly rates be raised to match the other allied health disciplines funded by the NDIS under the Early Childhood Approach.
- Art therapy hourly rates are raised to match the other allied health disciplines funded by the NDIS under the Early Childhood Approach.
- Additional levy for registered providers delivering quality services
Executive Summary
In Australia, there are approximately 800 registered music therapists, and around 1,200 registered art therapists practising across Australia and New Zealand. Music and Art therapies have been recognised internationally since the 1940s and were formally classified within the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) in 2007.
Since the rollout of the NDIS, Music and Art therapies have been able to be delivered under the capacity building category and the NDIS Early Childhood Approach. They have sat alongside other allied health and specialist education practitioners delivering services to children 0-9yrs old and their families.
ECIA VIC/TAS members are committed to providing quality services aligned to the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention¹.
Whilst it is not currently mandatory for Music and Art therapists to be registered providers with the NDIS to deliver services, we note that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission in their response to the Ducket Review² state,
Art Therapists - required qualifications and experience:
- Professional membership with the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA)
- Experience in the profession and evidence of involvement in clinical supervision and professional development as required by ANZACATA. Music Therapists - required qualifications and experience:
- Active ‘registered music therapist’ with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA)
- Experience in the profession and evidence of involvement in clinical supervision and professional development as required by the appropriate professional body.
We support this approach recognising the importance of registration with professional bodies, and the essential commitment to ongoing clinical supervision and professional development. The AMTA aligns with the Professional Standards for Music therapy to ensure that all practicing music therapists meet these standards and deliver quality services³.
1 National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
2 NDIS Commission response to Duckett review into Art and Music Therapy | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Who uses Music and Art therapies
For the purpose of this submission ECIA VIC/TAS consulted with current members who are qualified and registered Music and Art therapists to understand their service delivery models, qualifications and cohort of children in the programs.
All practitioners consulted hold a masters degree in either Music Therapy or Creative Arts Therapy, are members of their respective professional bodies and engaging in clinical supervision regularly. All are embedded in multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams delivering services to children 0-9yrs through an Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) approach in organisations that are registered NDIS providers.
Their service delivery models align with the National Best Practice Framework in Early Childhood Intervention, and the NDIS Early Childhood Approach. The practitioners deliver services under a Key Worker model in addition to targeted therapy supports.
To respond to this consultation providers distributed an anonymous survey to families engaging Art and Music therapy.
Family responses were captured in response to a range of questions with a snapshot of responses recorded here. The families shared case studies two of which have been included in this submission. Families requested privacy be preserved so results are reported in a de-identified manner.
Benefits of Music and Art therapy
Registered Music Therapists working with children draw upon their knowledge, skills and qualifications to
- 4Assess people’s health and wellbeing
- Devise therapeutic interventions and programs to preserve, restore or improve physical or psychological wellbeing, functional capacity and quality of life
- facilitate music-based interventions to positively impact brain function, neuroplasticity, physical, sensory regulation, social communication, cognition and emotional and behavioural regulation and community participation
- deliver treatment and support to achieve positive outcomes and experiences.
Functional outcomes through participation in Music therapy include:
- regulating mood and behaviour
- activating and improving cognition and thinking
- developing and improving attention, communication skills and function, and social interactions
- improving movement and coordination and increasing independence
- increasing confidence, self-esteem, belonging and community engagement.
Registered Creative Arts therapists working as health professionals use a wide range of artistic media and creative processes to assist children to:
- 5Facilitate the exploration of feelings
- Improve self-awareness
- Reduce anxiety
Creative Arts therapists abide by their ethical standards, and it is a requirement of all therapists to read and implement the Standards of Professional Practice. In a recent World Health Organization report, the WHO investigated art based therapy and concluded there is a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health and management and treatment of illness across the life span6.
In addition, being registered NDIS providers, they must implement the NDIS Practice Standards and Code of Conduct, as all other therapy disciplines do.
4 2024 AMTA Disability evidence summary.pdf
5 ANZACATA - About CAT
6 The World Health Organisation (Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67, 2019)
Case studies collected from ECIA VIC/TAS members.
Both case studies below highlight the importance of social and emotional learning and the importance of child and family capacity building.
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model argues that, child development is shaped by multiple interacting influences — relationships, environment, health and learning supports — and outcomes are stronger when policies and practices address the whole context around the child. 7
The delivery of Art and Music therapies align with the NDIS principles in the following ways as seen in the case studies below through:
- Person-centered supports – the programs are tailored to each child and their family responding to a specific goal or need
- Capacity building – they support the development of skills that support daily functioning in their natural environments
- Evidence-informed practice – the therapists posses the correct qualifications and skills, and align with the NDIS Early Childhood Approach and the National Framework Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention.
7 committee-for-children-the-case-for-a-comprehensive-approach-to-social-emotional-learning.pdf
Loss of a child – support through Art therapy
The sibling of an NDIS funded child passed away. He became very withdrawn with reduced use of communication. His Creative Arts therapist worked with him, and his mother using Art therapy techniques to process their grief and loss. The sibling, who remained non-verbal during the session used sensory based art making, choosing finger painting to respond and express feelings and emotions and potentially process his lost sibling.
The sibling and mother created a poster to put up in the family home with all names of the children, including the one who passed away.
When leaving the session the sibling chose to wear the poster around his neck, and would not relinquish it, keeping his ‘family’ close and safe.
Links to Art therapy objectives
- Mother and sibling able to explore and express their feelings about losing a child in the family
- Using materials to regulate emotions
- Articulating through art what he was not able to in words
- Making and communicating choices
Links to the National Framework Best Practice Early Childhood Intervention
- Child and family centered
- Connection and collaboration
- Inclusion
- Rights based
- Relationship based
- Strength based
- Ecologically based
Links to NDIS Principles
- Choice and control
- Participation in the community
- Respect for linguistic and social circumstances
- Best interests of the child
- Informed decision making
- Evidence-based
- Person-centric
- Early intervention
Inclusion in community through Music Therapy
A young child with level 3 ASD and sensory processing disorder, who was non-verbal was referred to Music Therapy. Being part of his community was challenging and he used behavioural communication to indicated he did not want to be outside home. This could include dropping to the floor and self-harm through hitting himself in the face.
His meltdowns in public places could be long and loud and were isolating him and his family from their community.
Living with Sensory Processing Disorder he benefited from a combination of inputs including, sound and touch from his family.
Following a series of sessions feedback from the parents told the music therapist that they are intentionally using a specific sensory song they learnt in sessions when the child has a meltdown in public.
They report a significant reduction in meltdowns in public, with he is no longer self-harming
Links to Music therapy objectives
- Understanding feelings and making choices to express feelings
- Reduction in behaviours through increasing communication skills
- activating and improving cognition and thinking
- developing and improving attention, communication skills and function, and social interactions
- improving movement and coordination and increasing independence
- increasing confidence, self-esteem, belonging and community engagement.
Links to the National Framework Best Practice Early Childhood Intervention
- Child and family centered
- Connection and collaboration
- Inclusion
- Rights based
- Relationship based
- Strength based
- Ecologically based
Links to NDIS Principles
- Choice and control
- Participation in the community
- Respect for linguistic and social circumstances
- Best interests of the child
- Informed decision making
- Evidence-based
- Person-centric
- Early intervention
Choice and Control
Under the NDIS principle of choice and control families must be able to choose the services they wish to engage for their child, and “choice and control” means a participant has the right to make their own decisions about the supports they receive, how and when they are provided, who provides them. 8
The Independent Review of Art and Music Therapies led by Dr Stephen Duckett found that both music therapy and art therapy can be effective and beneficial for people with disability in the right circumstances — and recommended they continue to be available through the NDIS where there is evidence of positive outcomes including being delivered by qualified and registered therapists.
The case studies presented clearly demonstrate the benefits for the children and families in the programs.
8 https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/glossary#choice-and-control