Families invited to sensory friendly holiday concert
Attending a holiday concert is a favorite tradition throughout the United States in the month of December.
However, for many families of individuals with disabilities, attending a holiday concert can be a daunting challenge.
For a child with autism, tasks such as waiting in line and staying quiet throughout the performance can often become overwhelming and lead to outbursts. To avoid these stressful situations, many parents often decide to stay home.
Fortunately, these families now have a venue to celebrate the holiday season at a sensory friendly Holiday Concert from 7-7:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at the Harper College Performing Arts Center.
Through the collaborative efforts of the Harper College Symphony Orchestra and Northwest Special Recreation Association, families will experience the sounds of the holidays in a sensory friendly environment.
As the Harper College Symphony Orchestra plays, staff from NWSRA will be available to assist families throughout the concert to increase everyone's ability to learn concert etiquette and enjoy the show. Lights will be dimmed, and "wiggling" and noises throughout the concert will be completely understood by all in attendance.
"This is an amazing opportunity for families who otherwise would not be able to enjoy this experience. This also provides a great environment for individuals with disabilities to learn about proper etiquette with trained and certified staff," said NWSRA Senior Manager of Special Recreation JoAnn Snyder.
Members from the symphony orchestra will greet families in the lobby prior to the concert, as they will play music and share information about their instruments. In addition, attendees will be invited to a demonstration of Autism Movement Therapy.
Through cognitive remapping, Autism Movement Therapy is a sensory integration technique incorporating movement and music in collaboration with Positive Behavior Support strategies to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders in meeting and achieving their speech and language, social and academic goals.
"Harper College reaches out to our partners in many ways, and the Harper Symphony Orchestra is pleased to partner with NWSRA to bring the joy of the holidays to all of our community through music," said William Anthony Porter, Harper Symphony Orchestra conductor.
All proceeds from this event will support Special Leisure Services Foundation, which is the fundraising arm of NWSRA.
SLSF provides funding for scholarships, accessible transportation, athletics, inclusion support and more to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have every opportunity to recreate within their community.
To order tickets for the sensory friendly Holiday Concert, call NWSRA at (847) 392-2848. Tickets are $5 each and may be picked up at the NWSRA office prior to Nov. 29.
The Northwest Special Recreation Association provides opportunities through recreation for children and adults with disabilities. NWSRA provides more than 2,000 recreational programs and received more than 15,000 registrations annually.
Athletics are very popular at NWSRA, with more than 600 athletes competing in 16 sports. NWSRA has received the National Recreation and Park Association Excellence in Inclusion Award, given to one organization throughout the nation that has proved its leadership in the promotion of inclusion and diversity initiatives.
NWSRA serves 17 Northwest suburban communities, providing day camps, weekly programs, trips, special events, cultural arts and more.
For information on NWSRA, visit www.nwsra.org, or contact Brian Selders at (847) 392-2848 or email bselders@nwsra.org.
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