Special Needs & Education

- Sample Sessions

The creation of an interactive virtual environment led by sound can open up new worlds for those in your care, the choices are endless and the experience liberating. The combination of light making sound is a powerful stimulus for all ages and abilities and encourages the people in your care to actively participate in exploring the world around them.

The wholly inclusive approach effectively removes the traditional barriers to achievement and can bring out the real potential of those in your care. The OptiMusic system is supported by a vast and varied programme of music and sounds that have been developed by those working in the multi-sensory field. This enables facilitators to provide focused sessions that are customized to the needs of individuals with clear learning goals in mind. OptiMusic actively supports many areas of the National Curriculum including strategies for music, drama, literacy and numeracy.

Session Example 1:

A Multi-Sensory Exploration of Water

• The session begins with the sounds of the sea, seagulls crying overhead, bird silhouettes moving across the walls
• The room darkens as the sound of a storm begins to rumble
• Rain lashes down and colour splashes 'wet' the floor, rain-sticks are shaken
• The storm passes, birds begin to sing - the room is bathed in the warm glow of sunshine and there is the aroma of cut grass
• The gentle sound of a trickling stream is accompanied by the gurgling of a bubble tube and the watery flow of fibre-optics
• The sounds of happy voices and an outdoor pool are followed by a large splash! A fine watery mist can be felt on people's faces
• Cold drinks with ice are poured into glasses
• The exploration ends with the sound of a refreshing poolside shower and the smell of citrus shampoo!

All of these effects can be controlled by the user through the OptiBeams with the simple addition of Relay Reward (optional extra) to control other pieces of sensory equipment. Objects of reference to hold, smell and study can be introduced throughout the session to reinforce the sense of place and heighten the sensory experience.

Session Example 2:

A Speech and Communication Session:

• Voices of group members are recorded onto the beams.
• The voices are then 'played' back on the beams with users able to actively experiment with the volume, word/sound order and depth of their vocal sounds.
• A movement in the beam can add an echo to the voice or magically turn it into a chorus of voices.
• Voices can even be accompanied by a rhythm backing track with drums and percussion!

It is easy to underestimate how empowering it is for someone with speech difficulties to hear and be able to manipulate their own voice. The scope for encouraging greater vocal awareness and the confidence to make new sounds and interact is immense.

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