What are baseline measures in MT assessment?

• A. A general impression of the client.
• B. Only observational notes during session.
• C. Baseline measures include data collected before intervention to quantify starting point.
• D. Post-treatment outcomes only.

Answer: (C)

Baseline measures are data collected before starting any intervention to establish the starting point for comparison. In music therapy assessment, this means gathering objective information—such as standardized scores, clinician-rated scales, or client-reported measures—before therapy begins so you can quantify where the client stands. This pre-intervention data provides a reference you compare against after treatment to determine what changed and how the intervention impacted outcomes. It’s not just a general impression or notes taken during sessions, and it’s not about outcomes after treatment alone.