The importance of artistic expression can be observed on Monday mornings at the SSM Health Treffert Center. At the core of human expression is a desire to create and to be present in the moment. Art can inspire a sense of autonomy in the self; one's body, mind, and spirit. On these Mondays at SSM Health Treffert Center, for one-hour, neurodiverse people of various ages and backgrounds can connect through music and movement.
Led by the psychotherapist and enhanced by the teachers and staff, the children perform a ritual of playfulness and fun. Movement is at the core of social and emotional learning for children. It is evident as the children sing and dance; the older students help and model for the younger ones, and the children seek out their favorite adult. A child locks eyes with their “teacher-of-the-day," and they exchange smiles while doing the routine movements of their favorite songs.
Learning to control one’s body is closely tied to learning to control one’s emotions. It's not always clear what comes first. Hand-over-hand, a teacher helps model the movements of the song with a toddler. Suddenly the toddler smiles and repeats the movements while moving closer to their person. Other days, she may refuse. This becomes the dance of relationship building.
On another Monday, a child requiring one-to-one support enters SSM Health Treffert Center library. A ukulele accompanies the therapist who is leading babies and toddlers to sing “The Wheels on the Bus.” The child appears anxious, but her support people know that she loves to dance and sway with the music. They know to help her persist because her discomfort will turn into the joy that she ritually embodies when humming and dancing to the music. Sure enough, she begins to dance and become calmer.
A child uses her feet and legs to stand and move for the first time. It may be a preview of how her feet will guide her for the rest of her life. A typically nonverbal person lights up the room with his best singing voice and requests to hear his favorite song. Perhaps it’s a glimpse of how he’ll use his voice to be a self-advocate and to grow to know his own wants and needs. A child who’s experiencing anxiety during her first time with a big group of children in a large space untethers herself from her teacher to “shake their sillies out” with a newfound confidence. A school-aged child learns the pride that comes with taking the lead and modeling expectations for younger ones.
These moments remind us that music and movement are very human requirements for well-being and growth. Call it magic or miracles: what takes place within this weekly ritual encourages growth and development through connection and trust. We know that where we give our attention and focus will be reflected on the road ahead.
Believing that music is universal and the first language for anyone regardless of circumstance, we learn something new every time we share in musical expression at the SSM Health Treffert Center. Whatever the weather may be, Monday mornings forecast music to start off the week in solidarity.
