[Nicole Drozd]

My take away this week was not only understanding the basics of each age group but also the importance of helping the parent understand what is normal in the child’s development. I am not a mom and I am sort of comfortable with children, so getting to learn more about each age group helps me feel more comfortable in working with groups of children but also provides me with information that is helpful to parents, even though I am not a parent myself.

[Nicole Drozd]

While I went through both modules I could not help remembering things I did as a child that were developmental markers-And I thought a lot of those memories were gone! I really, really enjoyed it when Elizabeth provided opportunities for us to experience what different stages might feel like as a child. Doing this not only gave me more of a perspective of what the child was seeing and experiencing, but it also gave me an idea of how curious children are at each of these age groups. One of my favorite things about working with children (primarily 1:1) is allowing them to participate in make-believe play and exploration. Because I know have a better understanding of developmental markers now I can provide more information to the parent about their children as also encourage them to come and play with us. I work with a little boy who is 6 y.o. and on the spectrum. I often allow opportunities for him to play what he likes on the drum or the triangle and often times the ABA therapist and mother don’t understand that I am helping him explore the instrument(s) and gain a little autonomy. Understanding both his disorder as well as his age, will help me better justify and encourage the parent and therapist to participate more in his treatment. This great stuff and I am glad I decided to take this course!

[Nicole Drozd]

Good Evening! My name is Nicole Drozd and I am a relatively new private practice owner (est. July 2015). My practice is called Heart Song Music Therapy and I am located in Norfolk, VA. I have both my bachelors and masters in music therapy and my primary passion is working within the military (e.g. veterans, active duty,and military families). A lot of my experience and (comfort) has been primarily adults. Yes I have experience with children in a variety of settings and have enjoyed it, but it has never been a focus of mine. Since I started my work in Norfolk, I am getting a lot of referrals for kids with autism, SPD, and other development disorders as well as parents asking me if there is a music-social group that they can take their kids to. So part of me is taking this course as radical acceptance that I will be working with kids for awhile and that I need to brush up on child development literature and working babies and toddlers….But also, I live in a military community where bonding between parent and child can be difficult- especially when a parent is deployed for 6 months or more or a parent comes home not quite the same after a deployment. There is a HUGE need here for something like this in my community. I love that this is a community/wellness-based model and I love that the parents are just as involved with it as the children. I am excited for the next 9 weeks with everyone.

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