About 6 in every 1,000 babies are born each year have profound disabilities. 'Baby Soundabout' is our response to the needs of such babies and their families. Currently we are focusing on families in the local counties of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, inviting them to come to Thomley Barn to meet with other parents and to hear about how music and sound can help even the smallest baby. We have developed a way of interacting with children with profound physical disabilities and learning disabilities and their parents or other caregivers in a way that builds upon the early child, caregiver relationship by using simple musical ideas as a common motivating thread and building upon the tiniest responses that a child may give.
These small group sessions are designed to give parents confidence that they can find ways of communicating with their babies. Using simple sound and music and body language in a relaxed informative, secure and enjoyable environment parents discover and can build upon the responses that their child gives.
The 'Baby Soundabout' sessions:
- Provide a safe and confidential space in which parents could meet, chat, and exchange information and share experiences with their child.
- Provide practical and useful ideas to use at home with their family.
- Cater for the needs of parents and children and be influenced by their particular needs.
- Show parents how to follow the pace and lead of the child to create a 'together feeling'
- Show parents some simple musical ideas to use with to engage their child
- Show parents how these ideas could be used to create familiar activities built upon their child's smallest responses.
- Use simple voice and rhythm ideas to share enjoyable moments with their child.