This week’s article highlights the need for a personalised therapy approach for individuals with communication difficulties, and the important role that associated therapies such as Arts Therapies can play in promoting confidence with making friends, reading and writing.
Ben is case in point, and his story can be read in full here: http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/03/29/3466730.htm Diagnosed with developmental dyslexia, Ben was avoiding school and lagging behind his peers. He was not comfortable or confident with reading and writing. Ben’s mother reports that she was desperate to try anything to help him learn to read: “I was grasping for any kind of assistance to get Ben to enjoy school and do some work in the classroom”. The breakthrough came with the arrival of a Music Therapist.
Music therapist and Art Stories director Catherine Threlfall worked with Ben, identifying his barriers to literacy. She then developed a therapy programme of exercises to meet his needs and increase his enjoyment of reading and writing. For Ben, this was song-writing. His music therapy sessions quickly became his favourite part of the week, and both his mother and teachers began to notice a positive change his in attention and even his mood. Ben reported that he felt Art Stories had helped him read and write, and even to make new friends through the social interaction opportunities from group work practising group harmonies. He said, “I get frustrated with the noise in the classrooms and I don’t bother to do my work. Ms Threlfall told my teachers I could go for a walk when I needed, and music calmed me down and it was peaceful.”

 

 

Ms Threlfall states that “Music therapy is the planned use of music to address needs – physical, emotional, mental,” and that “I guess what’s different from me and a music teacher coming in is I start with the social problem, not the music problem.”
If you think that your child may benefit from creative expressive therapies or speech and language therapy, I.T.S could be of help. Contact us here: https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/contact-us/enquiry

 

 

Sarah Bennington, April 2012
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. Integrated Treatment Services is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire, East Midlands and Southern England. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Psychotherapists.


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