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Music therapy to benefit Delta children with developmental disabilities

Reach Child and Youth Development Society is offering the group for kids 8-12 starting Jan. 9
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Reach Child and Youth Development Society (Reach) is offering a new music therapy group for children with extra needs starting in the new year.

Music therapy is using music as a tool to work on non-musical goals. For children with autism, it can improve interaction, verbal and non-verbal skills and improve motivational development. For individuals with disabilities, music can be the only way to connect and communicate in a way where they feel equal in the interaction.

Music is processed in a different area of the brain than speech and language and it sends a clearer signal that is more easily recognized, which can be very powerful for individuals with processing problems. Music therapy harnesses this power and integrates it with other skill building — for example, a drumming activity also teaches self-regulation and sensory integration, while vocalizing to musical sounds improves speech.

The Upstagers — Reach Glee Club is a partnership with Note by Note Music Therapy and will use music to encourage teamwork, patience and self-confidence. The group, open to kids 8-12 years old, starts Jan. 9 and 10, 2020 in both North and South Delta. The program will run Thursdays and Fridays, 4-6 p.m., for 10 weeks and cost $350 per term.

For more information, contact Reach speech language pathologist Katie Scozzafava at katies@reachchild.org.

Reach is a non-profit organization in Delta that has been helping children with special needs reach their full potential since 1959. Reach currently provides programs and services to over 1,000 children and their families in Delta, Surrey and Langley per year.

To learn more about Reach and its programming, visit reachdevelopment.org.



editor@northdeltareporter.com

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