Percussion Play: Learning Disability Week

THE BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR MUSIC FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

To celebrate Learning Disability Week from 19th June, Percussion Play is highlighting the benefits of music, particularly outdoor music, for people with learning disabilities.

Playing music outdoors is enjoyable, stress-relieving, and calming.  It provides a multi-sensory stimulation and an outlet for emotional expression.

Creating music outside can help people with learning disabilities to deal with emotional issues, especially if they cannot express themselves through speech. Where words fail, music may be a medium to explore our inner world and experiences.

Playing musical instruments outside can:

• Lead to improved communication skills for those who participate and has been proven to be particularly beneficial for individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. 
• Promote social development because people of all ages and abilities can play together, creating multi-generational interactions and facilitating enhanced community cohesion, communication and integration. 
• Help verbal communication.  The contribution that music makes to language development and communication is particularly beneficial for people with developmental delays. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.

Jody Ashfield, Co-Founder, and CEO of Percussion Play comments

“We are proud to recognize and support this year’s Learning Disability Week. As world leaders in the manufacturing of outdoor musical instruments we aim to champion the impact outdoor music can have on individuals and communities, helping support those with learning disability and all this entails. We encourage everyone to get outside and create and listen to music”.

You can read more about this white paper here which aims to collate some of the existing research on the correlative relationship between outdoor musical play and its benefits for people with a wide range of disabilities.