February is going to be a fun month despite the cold weather.  We will be taking this month to talk about emotions during music therapy.  I am also looking forward to our Sensory Friendly Concert.  If you're interested, check out the bottom of the email to read about some of the things I've learned about while planning this concert.  Stay warm!

-Kim

Join us for a Sensory Friendly Concert on Sunday, February 14th at 2:00pm.  During the concert, people will be able to get up and move around the room, even getting up close enough to touch the instruments.  There will be a quiet room if anyone needs to get away for a few minutes.  All vocalizations and movement will be welcomed and fidgets will be available.  We hope to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for those with autism or other neurodivergent people to hear great music!

In preparing for the Sensory Friendly Recital, I read several articles about Identity First Language and the Neurodiversity Movement.  I learned that many people with autism prefer to be referred to as autistic because they believe that autism is part of their identity and is not a deficit that needs to be fixed.  This was surprising to me because during college and my internship, I was taught that it is important to use person first language as a mark of respect and as a reminder to consider the whole person and not just their diagnosis. 

I can see the validity of both sides of this issue and I'm curious if any of you have ever considered this issue and what conclusions you've come to.  If you'd like to let me know what you think, please respond to this email.

If you'd like more information on this topic, you can read this article which includes a link to several other articles with various perspectives.