Integrated Arts Training Initiative

What It Is

A custom-designed circuit training program to promote health and develop aerobic functioning, balance, coordination, and overall body strength.

Why We Do It

It should come as no surprise that exercise is crucial to a human being’s sense of vitality. But the importance of energy regulation is often overlooked when it comes to people with the most significant needs, even as new brain research continues to lengthen the list of benefits. The ENERGym® program is based on this research, which shows that exercise enhances self-regulation, helping us focus on new tasks and information and fueling the brain growth that makes it easier to remember all of the new things we learn. In addition to strengthening the brain and body, exercise also protects us from the stressors that might do the opposite and deteriorate the body. Exercise regulates metabolism and spares us from carrying unnecessary weight; it boosts the immune system so it can fend off sickness faster; and it primes the body to sleep more peacefully at the end of each day.

What It Is

Individualized experiences that pair music with naturally occurring or facilitated movements to stretch, relax, and/or enliven the body.

Why We Do It

Staff Testimonial: “The positive energy, collaboration, and enthusiasm that are shared by participants, residential staff, and the Integrated Arts team have been immeasurable. We began working with people who were perceived as either not wanting to participate or not being able to participate because of excitement and arousal levels. Through small steps — including private 1:1 sessions in different locations, movement in special positioning equipment, small group sessions, mixing movements into a preferred activity such as an outdoor walk, and lots of encouragement — these perceptions have been changed. Each day, they have the choice to participate, and more times than not, they are willing to join some or all of the session. We facilitated the program 2-3 times per week for 14 weeks, and I cannot think of a single person who didn’t have at least one breakthrough moment. Each day we were rushing to grab the camera to capture the energy, but the photos and videos do not do those moments justice.”

What it is

Adapted stretching routines which can be completed as a standalone program or as part of an active movement routine.

Why We do it

Stretching has both physical and mental benefits such as improved circulation, muscle and joint flexibility, and stress relief which can be helpful when beginning active movement activities such as exercising, sports, or gardening. Having a familiar stretching routine or “warm up” is a helpful way to begin any activity because it promotes focus and attention prior to learning new skills. A stretching routine can also be utilized as a way to end a program because it helps promote relaxation and mindfulness while at the same time signaling that the program is coming to a close.

What it is

A celebration of annual traditions, events, and farm tasks

Why We do it

Our Seasonal routines and events allows us to remain grounded by providing a sense of timekeeping; each event helping us define the season and giving us a sense of time and place. We believe that teaching our students and residents about seasonal rhythms helps them form a connection with their natural environment and inspires a sense of community. When all of the events are put together, there is a familiar and comforting routine each year. Celebrating each season provides several opportunities to practice social skills in a group environment and provides a foundation for focused activities, farm chores, group gatherings, and cyclical meals.

What it is:

Various examples of sensory motor spaces and activities that are used to give individuals an opportunity to self-regulate and self-soothe.

Why we do it:

To help facilitate optimal arousal, engagement, learning, socialization, communication, and joy.

What It Is

Participants gather together to care for a communal space

Why We Do It

Nothing in Nature is superfluous, and the same is true in Gardening Club. This is a place where everyone has the ability to contribute something meaningful. One person can twist the knob of the faucet while another can hold the nozzle of the hose. The person capable of picking up a stick can dispose it in a wheelbarrow, which someone else’s wheelchair can tug away. There is a natural incentive to include everyone because the work of caring for living things is year-round and non-stop. The seasons come with their own curriculum of things to do — planting in spring, weeding in summer, harvesting in fall, garden planning in winter — as well as opportunities to celebrate at turning points like plantings, harvests, and solstices. And yet, the garden can also be a reprieve from work. Whether by looking at the way ice laminates the trees in winter or feeling the waxiness of grass in the spring, growing things captivate all five senses throughout all four seasons and restore both mind and body.

What It Is

Participants tap maple trees and turn it into syrup for their community

Why We Do It

Much like the syrup it produces, the process of Maple Sugaring itself makes things stick together. The routine of extracting sap, boiling it down, and bottling it up is as extensive as it is elaborate, which gives participants a chance to team up over and over again. And by the time the season ends, participants have the chance to display their hard-won expertise, not through a test that they take but by what they give to their community: the syrup itself, of course, as well as an irresistible reason to celebrate together.

What It Is

Participants staff a pop-up restaurant for friends and family

 Why We Do It

As a guest at this student-run restaurant, you see a cafeteria transformed and smell the aroma of chefs hard at work. The host is there to welcome you, take your reservation, and walk you to your elegantly decorated table. At one moment, you see the waiter collecting orders from guests, and then he’s pivoting to work with the kitchen, laying out order forms on the counter and waiting for the chefs to plate the corresponding dishes. From the host to the waiter, from the busser to the dishwasher, the cooperation among teammates is non-stop and authentic. Collectively, the members of Restaurant Club are learning about responsibility, communication, and self-efficacy – all while gaining valuable life and work-readiness skills and preparing a truly unforgettable meal.

What it is:

Animal assisted interventions are goal-oriented and structured interventions that intentionally incorporate animals in health, education and human service for the purpose of therapeutic gains and improved health and wellness.

Why we do it:

Animal assisted activities provides motivational, educational, and recreational benefits and the opportunity to enhance quality of life. With a trained professional, animal assisted education and therapy takes the activities a step further with  goal-oriented and structured interventions using the animal to assist in achieving academic and therapeutic goals.

What It Is

A choreographed aerobic fitness program featuring movements inspired by various styles of dance, which may be modified to meet each individual’s needs.

Why We Do It

Dance revitalizes the body. In following the leader through choreography, people move in ways they might never have considered on their own. And yet these challenges to the body aren’t commands – the exuberant music and energy of the group urges the body to move. In fact, the name “Dynamite” itself reflects this joy and is a reference to a resident’s favorite Taio Cruz song, one they couldn’t hear and sit still. For dancers who may generally struggle with socializing, doing the same moves with the same people at the same time each week creates a sense of community. But doing the moves in unison isn’t the only way to be part of the group – the person pacing at the back of the room might become the class cheerleader, serving an equally important role by keeping rhythm with his clapping. Dance is perhaps one of the purest forms of self-expression, allowing us to be unmistakably ourselves without forfeiting our place in something larger.

What It Is

Participants build useful and long-lasting fixtures for their community

Why We Do It

For people who are easily overstimulated, the woodshop might seem like an unlikely setting with all its loud sounds – the whizzing drills, the clattering planks of wood – and unwieldy machinery. But when the question changes from “How can I do this for you?” to “How can I make this possible for you?” participants get the chance to construct things that alter the lives of people in their community, from benches to theatrical backdrops. Woodworking also offers opportunities for both self-reliance and teamwork: If someone has more strength and dexterity in their chin rather than in their hands, they can hold a board in place using that part of the body. And if someone has the motor skills to grasp a drill, they can whittle away at the board themselves. Ultimately, by combining their abilities, every person has the chance to experience their own sense of power.

What it is

An advanced group focused on developing social skills through theatrical arts.

Why we do it

Discovery Drama is a motivating and purposeful program to help students learn social skills, gain confidence, and focus on their individualized therapeutic goals. Participants are able to practice communication skills, attention, and focus in a fun and supportive environment. They develop a sense of self-expression and friendships while learn how to rely on each other and work as a team.

What it is:

A variety of adapted dance programs and classes such as: ballet, tap, hip-hop, and cheerleading

Why we do it:

Dance offers a non-verbal outlet to express many forms of emotion. When dance is applied in a classroom-style learning environment, it goes beyond learning steps and choreography. It also helps individuals develop important life skills. Dancers learn to be patient and courteous while listening for instruction. They learn to be mindful of their surroundings, to respect the personal space of others, and at the same time, learn to communicate and collaborate with their fellow dancers. Dance/Movement classes can impact brain function by enhancing focus and alertness, increasing motor function and self-esteem while simultaneously decreasing maladaptive behaviors.

What It Is

A music ensemble that mixes the unique contributions of each individual to play popular styles of music.

Why We Do It

Like any good garage band, Rock Band is a rehearsal for more than just music: each person gets to practice feeling proud and humble at the same time. On the one hand, the band needs people eager to do their part — strike their cymbal, smack their drum, blow their horn – and the facilitator works to include and order everyone’s contribution. But on the other hand, the band also depends on people willing to wait their turn. Enthusiasm and restraint, independence and collaboration, practice and spontaneity – while these pairs of opposites seem like they should cancel each other out, music is where they all become necessary. Likewise, music is a context in which every person is necessary as well. In Rock Band, the assumption is that every person has something to give, so it is never the person who is the limiting factor but our imaginations. If a person has a 3-inch range of motion, sitting in front of the nearly 60-inch spread of a grand piano might feel intimidating. But put that same hand in front of an iPad keyboard, and suddenly the 3-inch range of motion is perfectly suited for the dimensions of the screen. With the mere flick of a finger, a person can slide from one end of the keyboard to another, experiencing the full spread of keys and musical possibilities that the piano has to offer. Adaptive technologies empower people by taking what may seem like imperceptibly small motions and converting them into sounds that can’t be ignored.

What It Is

A unique therapeutic music and movement program that draws upon the inherent qualities of rhythm to ground, organize, and connect those engaged in it.

Why We Do It

When a person comes into a classroom with irrepressible rhythm in his body — he’s jiggling, he’s rocking — the typical sympathetic response might be, “What a pity he can’t sit still.” But when seated in the STOMP circle, the same movements that might have been perceived as a reason for him to leave become a reason for him to stay. In STOMP, his bouncing shows that he is already fluent in rhythm, which is all he needs to experience communication. He can “speak up” by offering a rat-a-tat-tat to the group. He can feel “heard” when the circle repeats it back exactly right. And he can also inspire someone to reply with something entirely new, all with no verbal language required. While English has only 26 black squiggles to work with, drumming has an alphabet all its own, consisting of elements like force, tempo, and hand placement. With all these variables, there is so much potential to “say” something original in STOMP, and yet there is just as much potential to feel unified with the rest of the percussionists. For anyone used to being alienated for moving to the beat of their own drum, all it takes to join this community is to keep the beat.

What It Is

Drawing upon the vibrations and frequencies of select musical instruments to calm the mind and body.

Why We Do It

Based on the idea that every existing thing teems with its own signature set of vibrations, Sound Healing uses instruments with especially pure and resonant tones — gongs, crystal bowls, chimes, tuning forks, and the harp — to bring the frequencies radiating from a person into harmony. Beyond the specialty instruments, what distinguishes a Sound Healing session is something as invisible as music but just as affecting: the belief that everything making noise in the room, instruments and participants alike, has something crucial to contribute. The expert practitioner respects that the sounds are as alive as the people, each with its own peculiar texture and way of moving through the air. Indeed, one of the gifts of Sound Healing is that against the backdrop of such an otherworldly orchestra, no response to the music can possibly seem strange. Unlike a concert hall where only applause might be accepted, any sound the audience makes here — humming, whistling, staying silent — simply multiplies the diversity of the soundscape. In the context of a day where there might be vigilant measuring and monitoring, Sound Healing offers a moment of contrast. Lying down in the middle of a room with nothing else asked of them, people have the space to hear and be healed.

Give It A Try

While the effects of Sound Healing are at their most powerful when you can feel the vibrations for yourself, we’ve recorded the four sessions below in order to transmit this experience to as many people as possible. To prepare, find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and ease into a position you can sustain for the duration of the video (lying down on a yoga mat, sitting against a wall, resting on a bean bag). If you have the chance to listen alone, we recommend using headphones so you can surround yourself with sound.

What it is:

Additional activities that utilize music to enhance personal and social experiences.

Why we do it:

Music can be utilized in a variety of ways to enhance all different experiences. It can bring people together through a shared interest, assist as a communication tool to enhance socialization, or it can be used to change the energy in the room to create an upbeat or calming atmosphere.

What It Is: Integrated Arts programs offered through prerecorded and web-based platforms.

Why We Do It: The Center for Discovery swiftly implemented our pandemic plan in March 2020. Since that time, all agency and program modifications have been made in a response to COVID-19, with the priority of keeping all residents and staff safe, healthy, and happy. Throughout the course of the pandemic, our Integrated Arts team has been sharing trainings and programming in hybrid and virtual formats, with great success. During this unsettling time, we have found that it is extremely beneficial to have dedicated therapists who are focused on providing social and emotional regulation opportunities, including engaging, fun, and stress-relieving activities for both the residents and staff.