Despite the many proven therapeutic benefits, the Department of Education will not fund music therapy through the early intervention system. Since 1996, the Arc of Chester County’s First Step Program has been providing music therapy to nearly 100 children each year. Music therapy is the use of music and its elements to help individuals achieve therapeutic goals. It has been proven to increase the development of auditory skills, self-esteem, socialization, visual and physical coordination, and cognitive and academic concepts. Children age three to five receive this valuable service at least once or twice a week. Unfortunately, music therapy is at risk of being dropped from the curriculum due to the lack of private funding, especially in this difficult economic downturn. For children with severe disabilities, music therapy has been an effective means of helping them to reach their goals of introducing new concepts and helping to make therapeutic work more tolerable.

The music and corresponding activities develop self-esteem, build confidence and minimize frustration for those that lack communication skills. Music is a stimulus to encourage coordinated and directed movement for children with physical disabilities and is highly effective with children who have Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PPD)/Autism. By using the music, the perceived demand for interpersonal contact (for example talking to someone, making eye contact), is diminished and that child with PPD/Autism can then make progress toward achieving personal therapeutic goals.

Through imitating motor movements and sounds, eye contact and rhythm, music therapy increases and develops auditory, visual, fine and gross motor, speech and language and academic concepts. It even helps improve self-esteem by increasing comfort levels in group settings.

 Please contact:

Stephanie Cory, CFRE, CAP | Director of Development

900 Lawrence Drive | West Chester, PA 19380

Tel (610) 696-8090, ext. 210 | Fax (610) 696-8300

Email scory@arcofchestercounty.org | Web www.arcofchestercounty.org