Question 1

Who can I use SingFit STUDIO with?

Accepted Answer

SingFit STUDIO Pro is most effective with clients aged 55+ who have cognitive decline or dementia, aphasia or other speech and language challenges​. 
The SingFit lyric-coach prompter enables anyone to sing without having to read or remember the lyrics.

Question 2

Is the RePEAAT Protocol still applicable for clients with Broca’s aphasia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For clients with non-fluent aphasia, it is particularly important to find their favorite songs, ones that they are very familiar with (which the RePEAAT protocol enables you to do). Familiarity with the song lyrics is more important than the tempo of the song. However, if the participant is struggling with the tempo of the songs, check out the playlists Slow Popular Songs Level 1 and Level 2. 
For clients with severe Broca’s aphasia, we recommend starting with Slow Popular Songs Level 1 before introducing them to their Age-Based Playlist. The Level 1 playlist includes popular songs that are slow in tempo and lyric delivery speed as well as have high levels of repetition. 
If you have any additional questions about using SingFit with clients with aphasia, please do not hesitate to reach out to studio@singfit.com.

Question 3

What do I do for a client  with a depressed mood who doesn't want to use SingFit for several sessions?

Accepted Answer

Voice is a reflection of one’s inner self, and if a client is depressed they may not want to share their voice.  However, music listening can be another effective way to receive the benefits of therapeutic music for stimulating reminiscence and improving mood. 
Try listening to music instead of singing: “I brought you a couple of songs that I’d love to share with you. We don’t need to sing them, but I’d love to listen.” If the client still doesn’t desire to listen, then follow their lead. 
Try to engage them about the songs they sang/listened to last week. “Let’s talk about the songs you picked.” If they feel comfortable they will start singing on their own. 
Music listening is passive and not a demanding task. “I’ll show you my favorite song, and then you show me your favorite song.”

Question 4

How do I implement SingFit goals into my practice?

Accepted Answer

The goal of SingFit is to utilize the power of music to support your pre-existing patient goals & plan of care. SingFit can be woven into the rehabilitation session with other interventions to promote engagement. SingFit offers the ability to utilize rhythm and music to support their goals! If you have further questions about documentation, check out our reimbursement playbook.

Question 5

How does the use of SingFit impact my billing?

Accepted Answer

Billing is reflective of the clients specific goals that you’ve written. SingFit is a tool that can facilitate progress towards therapeutic goals, but you will not specifically bill for SingFit. The Reimbursement Playbook can help identify clinical language and documentation of the SingFit STUDIO Pro Tool.

Question 6

What goals can I target?

Accepted Answer

Singing is a cross-hemispheric brain exercise that stimulates & supports:
Speech Goals: 
Articulation and word production
Conversation skills (turn taking, and intelligibility)
Narrative Speech
Confidence to use their voice
Voice volume, Resonance, and Articulation
Cognition
Attention
Memory (short and long term)
Memory (auditory, episodic, autobiographical)
Word recall
Reminiscence
Emotional Health 
Mood
Self-esteem
Stress, or social isolation
Motor movement (Range of motion, movement of affected limb, exercise)

Question 7

What do I do if my client is really distracted during therapy / SingFit?

Accepted Answer

With clients who are new to SingFit, you can try to find a favorite song/artist from family or caregivers prior to introducing SingFit to the patient. This can help gain the client’s interest from the start. 
With clients who have already been using SingFit, select a song that they have shown higher levels of engagement with (i.e. they sang more of the words, they moved to more of the song, etc.) in prior sessions. 
The Therapeutic Strategies from the Advanced Dementia guidelines will be helpful for clients who are very distracted due to advanced cognitive decline. Demonstrate desired behavior by singing along to the music yourself and then encourage your client to sing with you.

Question 8

What do you do if a patient starts singing a different song in the middle of a SingFit song?

Accepted Answer

Stop the SingFit song and allow the patient to finish the song they are singing. The client clearly made a connection with the music and it reminded them of words to another song. This is still an example of long term memory recall. You can provide a neutral reinforcement like “You really like to sing!” and reminisce about the song the client was singing before redirecting back to the next song in your SingFit playlist. You may want to try to find songs by the same artist that the client remembers. You can always call SingFit to find more song recommendations!

Question 9

My patient has Mild Cognitive Impairment and is often resistant to new activities/interventions and needs to feel that therapy is his idea. I’m worried about his response for introducing SingFit.

Accepted Answer

Use it as an opportunity to educate the client about the benefits of singing and the positive neurological effects (ie, bihemispheric cognitive exercise). Singing is also a great way to do voice warm ups for other speech exercises. You may want to share research resources with your client regarding the health benefits of singing as well. 
Key strategies: 
Educate your client on the health benefits of singing and try to get them engaged with their favorite songs. If the client is hard to engage, sharing research references might help show the scientific basis of singing and the related health benefits. 
Some clients may be looking for more ‘typical’ speech therapy exercises. These clients may benefit from ending the session on a high note with SingFit after practicing their other speech therapy exercises.

Question 10

Is there a caregiver version I can provide to patients and families for continuity of care and maintenance of therapy goals?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Please check out singfit.com/studiocaregiver to learn more about how to get your client access to a version they can use at home.

Question 11

How do I transition use of SingFit from my rehabilitation sessions to use at home?

Accepted Answer

Share the SingFit STUDIO Caregiver flyer to tell your client and family how to sign up! Clinicians can bill for education of clients or family on use of SingFit STUDIO Caregiver. Or, families can utilize the online training to learn everything they need to know without taking up time in your session. Clinician’s can assign homework and recommendations on how to utilize STUDIO to maximize therapeutic goals (ie. Use SingFit to promote engagement with activities 4x weekly; Use singing with SingFit as a voice exercise 3x weekly, or to prompt narrative speech 2x weekly, etc).

Question 12

What other playlists can I use with my clients?

Accepted Answer

Once you’ve started with the Age-Based playlist, you can scroll down to start exploring the other SingFit Playlists which includes genre playlists (i.e. Country, Rock, R&B) and artist-oriented playlists (i.e. Legendary Lads and Legendary Ladies, which include songs from hit artists like Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald). Remember to download the playlist or the desired song prior to your session, so that it is ready to play when you need it!
If you’d like to explore more songs within a genre, you can also click on “Song Catalogue” and scroll through all songs to find more options. Or, use the dark red banner to scroll to the right and peruse more genre playlists. You will not be able to download the whole playlist in the “Song Catalogue” section, but you can click to download each song you’d like to play individually.

Question 13

What do I do if my client doesn’t like the music from their age-based playlist?

Accepted Answer

Try some of the other Age-Based playlist above or below the client’s age. Depending on their stage of cognitive decline and the music their parents/siblings listened to, the songs in other age-based playlists may be more familiar to them.

Question 14

What happens if my client wants songs from their childhood such as “Happy Birthday”?

Accepted Answer

Use the playlist “Young at Heart” which includes many youthful songs. The songs in this playlist are appropriate for the age of your client while still appealing to their early childhood memories.

STUDIO Pro

Clinical FAQ