Music and the Persons with a Disability

Music helps a wide range of persons with a disability, including for example: the persons with Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, persons with intellectual disability and with Autism. At my work place I try to do some sessions with 3 different music programs. These are the karaoke sessions, the relaxation therapy music and the last session is normal music as listened on radio or cd players.

With normal music, I do mobility sessions. Our clients dance with music, even those that are wheelchair users and the persons with cerebral palsy, according to their type of disability level, dance by moving their heads, upper body and hands.

Although I have a horrible voice and I do not know how to make it better while I am singing, I enjoy doing the karaoke sessions with our clients, (The persons with a Disability). This session is done in a group and not as a single individual. In my opinion, doing this session in a group rather than choosing single clients is better for the type of clients I support. I noticed that when I tried to do it individual by individual, it went all wrong. The clients were shy, some of them do not know how to read and that was frustrating for them. Only few of them try and sang individually. I wanted that every one if possible try to sing and when I tried it as a group it went far better. In a group many of them lost their shyness and help each other to sing much better as they can be. When we do the karaoke and watched them sing with a smile on their face I feel satisfied. They enjoy it and that for me is enough.

After a week or a day of too much stress both of us worker and clients need some free stress sessions. A good way to release some of the accumulated stress is to listen to some relaxation music. First with the help of some clients we prepare the room for the music relaxing session; we make it darker, and place some cushions on the carpet. After that we tell the clients (those who can) to get down on the carpet and the others sitting on chairs and to do not make any talking or high noises. Then we put on some nature sound or relaxing music for a whole hour of relaxing time. After that hour both of us feel better. It is not always possible to do it, according to the individuals we have that day we choose to do or not do to the session.

Remember that when we listen to music our moods change according to what are we listen or we listen to music according to the type of mood we are. Music can help in many ways both the persons with a disability and “normal” Persons. Hope you enjoyed reading my second article about the persons with a Disability and my point of view.