At Peterhouse School, Expressive Arts staff work in conjunction with the school Speech and Language Therapists to provide Music Assisted Communication (MAC) sessions to individual pupils. This is delivered by one or two members of the Expressive Arts team and a Teaching Assistant who is familiar with the pupil, usually from the same class as the pupil.
The aim of the sessions is to develop pupils’ awareness of the fun in social interaction and the power in social communication, and to enable individuals to experience success in social communication at their own level.
Many pupils at Peterhouse are motivated by music, both creating it, and responding to it. During MAC sessions, the staff work with the individual’s personal preferences and musical interests to develop the pupil’s social interaction and social communication skills.
MAC sessions aim to enable pupils to recognise the fun and purpose in social interaction and social communication. In our experience, when an individual is aware of the many facets of social communication, particularly the power that may be gained in controlling the immediate environment through social communication, an individual’s motivation to develop and use communication skills appropriately develops more rapidly.
All MAC sessions are pupil centred, and therefore all MAC sessions are different. Initially, the Speech and Language Therapist, specialist Expressive Arts Support staff and the Music Specialist joins a pupil in his/her chosen activity, establishing turn-taking and sharing routines where possible. Music is used skillfully to maintain attention and continuity, to respond to pupils’ actions and to exaggerate words or actions that may have been used. Staff are aware of a pupil’s cognitive levels, and actively avoid cognitive overload.
The staff are aware of words which they know to be motivating and effective, and in time, model use of these words such as ‘stop’, ‘go’, ‘up’, ‘down’ etc.
During early sessions, staff will always follow a pupil’s command (providing that it is safe to do so), thus facilitating the child’s experience of purpose, fun, and success in use of communication.
The number of MAC sessions offered to a pupil varies according to individual need, motivation and benefit, and where possible may also be delivered to a small group to enhance and develop social interaction amongst peers.
Teaching assistants from the pupil’s class are encouraged to contribute in MAC sessions, thus further facilitating direct transfer of skills learned in the music room to the classroom.
MAC sessions are fun. The pupil learns social communication and social interaction in a motivating environment, supported by music. MAC sessions are therefore another way of reinforcing our aim at Peterhouse that each individual should experience success in communication, whatever his/her method of communication or level of communication.
