Love&Service Inc is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform children’s lives through safe and creative music environment. Included in this mission is a music program designed to transform the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder and other unique learning challenges and enhance their lives through a safe and creative music environment.
Love&Service Inc is dedicated to teaching music to children. Children on the autism spectrum and with other unique learning needs will be provided the same learning opportunities alongside the current students of Los Rios Rock School. Students will be offered music lessons with music instructors trained additionally on working with students with these learning styles, with equipment designed especially to meet unique learning or sensory-based needs.
Children with autism and their families face many financial obligations and burdens that often come hand-and-hand with the health and therapeutic needs. Love&Service Inc. will provide several quarterly scholarships to those children and their families to allow them to access our music program.
Musician support:
Musicians dedicated to Love&Service students will receive training in the area of autism. A total of 2-4 hours of training in the learning style of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Training will be provided by Kelly McKinnon & Associates, a group of professionals with years of experience working with children with autism across the continuum.
Training:
Musicians supporting our students will participate in a 2.5 hour training provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Training will include:
- An overview and understanding of autism
- Unique strengths of children with autism
- Review of general strategies that help, including:
- Sensory challenges
- Communication challenges
- Behavior challenges
- Using visual supports including schedules
- Structuring activities in small components
- Providing modifications
- How to communicate and support children with autism
- Review of successful musicians and teaching support
Each musician will work to develop 2-3 measurable music goals to obtain as part of their music lessons.
Additionally, when needed, musicians working with children with autism may be provided additional support and training whenever needed and requested.
Student requirements for the program:
- Ability to follow simple directions
- Ability to attend to a task (with break opportunities) up to 10 minutes
- Zero instances of aggression towards self or others
- A mode of communication established