FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lorilei Beer lorilei@voicestogether.net, 919.619.7316

VOICES TOGETHER IMPROVES LIVES IN GREENSBORO A unique approach to music therapy brings hope to the special-needs population of Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) Voices Together, an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of individuals living with autism and other developmental disabilities, is partnering with LifeSpan to open new community groups in Greensboro. Voices Together groups employ unique, evidence-based techniques and original talking songs to ignite language, motivate expression of feelings, accelerate learning and promote social skills connections that are essential to independence and inclusion in the community. Over 150,000 individuals from ages 6-22 in the state of North Carolina are living with autism and other developmental disabilities, according to Thoughtful House, an organization focused on serving the developmental disability community. In Guilford County alone, the schools are serving over 700 students living with autism, says Chris Hocker, member of the Guilford County Autism Society. The Center for Disease Control reports that the incidence of autism is climbing at an alarming rate. The need for innovative programming that builds communication and social skills to break the cycle of isolation is critical. As music uses a different part of the brain than speech and language, it is able to unlock language and even more remarkably, create neural pathways that ignite speech and language that did not exist or has been long dormant, says Yasmine White, founder and executive director of Voices Together. When we use the power of music in a safe social setting, like a small group chorus, participants also gain social skills, make friends and reduce negative behaviors that interfere with learning. Parents are advocating for alternative approaches, like Voices Together, that make breakthroughs where other interventions have failed. The Voices Together program provides our son with an opportunity that was absent in our community for this special-needs population. Work has become fun as he develops his language skills and social skills, said Deborah Meredith, mother of Bobby Meredith, who is a current member of the Voices Together teen group in Greensboro. [more]

Voices Together in Education, a branch of the Voices Together organization, offers these services in schools. Voices Together in Education is unique, not only in its capacity to address [communication, social skills and academic success], but in its ability to motivate and engage our students, said Mary Watson, director of the Exceptional Children Division of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. [The program] succeeds where many other interventions fall short. The skills that they develop are taken outside of the group and applied in their everyday lives. What has been really moving for me is to see people go from this world of isolation to being connected, said Whitney Smith, music therapist for Voices Together. I have seen group members gain the skills and courage to speak for the very first time as a result of our program. The organization is offering open enrollment for teens and adults living with autism and other developmental disabilities in the Greensboro and surrounding areas. Groups are comprised of members of similar ages and abilities. The program is engaging and beneficial for both verbal and nonverbal individuals. Sessions are held at the LifeSpan Creative Campus in Greensboro located at 908 McClellan Place. Each group contains six to nine participants that work with two board-certified music therapists. For more information, contact 919-942-2714 or info@voicestogether.net. About Voices Together Voices Together is an award-winning, not-for-profit organization serving over 400 individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities throughout North Carolina. Offered in public schools and the community, Voices Together small choral groups combine therapeutic techniques with music, using an innovative approach that unlocks communication, speech and social skills for individuals ages 4 to 75. The program is endorsed by The Autism Society of North Carolina, The Arc of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the UNC-Chapel Hill Departments of Music Education and Special Education. About LifeSpan LifeSpan is a mission driven, not-for-profit organization that has been operating programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities for over thirty-six years in North Carolina. LifeSpans mission is to transform the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities by providing education, employment, and enrichment opportunities that promote inclusion, choice, family supports, and other best practices. Currently, LifeSpan supports over 500 individuals in Guilford County alone. ###