One of the many strengths of the Kindermusik philosophy is its focus on the different developmental needs of each stage of childhood. Each level is designed to give your child the most appropriate, most stimulating environment to nurture their developmental needs. We celebrate and explore each stage rather than rush forward, coaxing forth the joy and creativity in each individual child and respecting their unique pattern and pace of growth. As a result, Kindermusik classes are a unique place where the child with special needs can participate actively with their peers of all abilities without pressure to compete or to perform one certain set expectation.

As a music therapist as well as a Kindermusik educator, with many years’ experience in incorporating special needs children into the Kindermusik environment, I encourage you to consider Kindermusik’s benefits for your child. Its developmental basis makes it a natural way to augment occupational , physical, or speech therapy. It offers multisensory stimulation, peer group interaction, and activities designed to promote specific aspects of cognitive, physical, social, and language development. Classes are small to allow the teacher to focus on each individual child as well as on the group, and levels are arranged by developmental grouping.

Every child has their own developmental pattern of growth, and the special needs child is no exception. When choosing a level for your child, ask yourself which would best suit your child’s current developmental needs. Where would your child flourish, rather than just "be able to handle it"? The Kindermusik curricula is broken down into different developmental levels. These are:

Where Would My Child Fit Best?

Village- (newborn to 18 months)
Consider this class if your child is a toddler with developmental delays in motor or cognitive skills, or an older child with a profound disability. Activities focus on multisensory stimulation, exploration of objects and instruments in a more free style to encourage concrete planning skills, song and rhymes which feature basic speech sounds, and movement activities which can be done in an adult’s arms, standing, or modified for seated.

Our Time-(18 months -3 1/2 yrs.)
This class suits a wide range of children with differing abilities who still require or prefer one-on-one interaction with a parent or caregiver. Speech and language development, gross and fine motor skills, social skills, and concept learning are goals in this level. The classes feature instrument play (instruments used require only moderate grasp, and I can easily adapt them), dance and movement exploration (again, can be done in arms, facilitated standing, or free moving- wheelchairs are welcome, too!), and song and language play, including a story, which develop speech.

Imagine That-(3 1/2 - 5 yrs.)
If your child is functioning in the preschool to kindergarten range, is developing language and peer interaction skills, and would enjoy the challenge of using musical activities in an extended, imaginary way, this level may be just what you are looking for. The children participate independently in group for the first portion of class, though any child who requires a facilitator, or just an occasional extra assist, is welcome to bring them for the whole class. (Some of the non-disabled preschoolers still want those special grownups in, too!) This level develops more complex movement patterns, abstract, imaginative thought, turn-taking, and expressive language development. As in the previous levels, this is accomplished through a combination of song, instrumental, movement, and play activities.

Please feel free to contact me regarding your child’s best placement, or with any questions about Kindermusik and its benefits for your child’s individual development. This is not only my career, it is also my joy. I look forward to meeting you and your child!