If you or someone you love are looking to experience music therapy, art therapy and adapted programming in dance, drama, music and visual arts in centers, you will likely have questions about which one best fits you and your family’s needs.
Any music and art experiences in these creative therapy departments at centers like The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby are facilitated by a therapist to meet the needs of individuals of all ages and abilities. However, for clients, parents and caregivers, the most common question regarding programming is about the difference between going into a therapy program vs. an adapted lesson. Here is what you need to know about both to help with the decision-making process.
Therapy Programs
Music and art therapy services use music and art experiences to achieve non-music and visual arts related goals, such as attention to task, motor development, appropriate social interaction, language development, communication, positive self-worth and emotional expression, among others.
The focus of the sessions is not the art and/or music-making, but the effects of being immersed in art and music-making.
Adapted Programs
For adapted programming, the primary goal is growing in the skill of the chosen arts experience. Adapted dance, drama, music and visual arts classes and lessons provide students with additional support, such as adapted equipment and/or teaching techniques to be successful within the learning environment.
The added bonus of adapted programming is that students still naturally gain improvements in those non-artistic goals just through participating in that specific arts experience.
For info, Ann Marie Raddell, director of Creative Arts Therapies, at The Fine Arts Association at araddell@fineartsassociation.org or at 440-951-7500 ext. 124.
