Masterclass: Developing assessment tools in music therapy

Rationale: Assessment practices in music therapy involve 1) preparing, 2) gathering information, 3) analysing, interpreting and concluding, and 4) documenting and communicating information about the music therapy process. One of the primary resources in the assessment practice is the use of assessment tools. These tools could be formal or informal tools, depending on how and why they were created. Objective: This masterclass intends to teach music therapists and music therapy students on how to create assessment tools in music therapy (formal and informal tools). Masterclass approach and theoretical background: The masterclass is organised in three parts: 1) theoretical considerations on music therapy assessment and how to develop an assessment tool, 2) practical experience of creating an assessment tool in music therapy, and 3) time for questions and take-home message the participants. These steps are based mainly on the Standards for Education and Psychological Testing (2014), on the Revised European Federation of Psychologist’s Associations(EFPA) Review Model for the Description and Evaluation of Psychological and Educational Tests, and also on the presenter experience of developing assessment tools in music therapy. Conclusions: the main take-home message for the participants is: creating and adapting assessment tools is part of the everyday practice in music therapy and is not something exclusive to the research context.