Local music therapists, Angie Kopshy & Marie Miller, teamed together to create a music therapy outreach program in Portland, Oregon. Partially funded by a generous donation from Autism Speaks, this program focuses primarily on serving children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Upon completion of our weekly groups, we share a video that focuses upon one of the rationale behind one of our interventions. Our hope is to provide families with inspiration and coaching so that they can incorporate these concepts into their everyday lives.
Week #1 touches upon the fantastic new research article I discussed in a previous blog, “Fronto-Temporal Connectivity is Preserved During Sung but Not Spoken Word Listening, Across the Autism Spectrum,” published in Autism Research on November 5, 2014, that highlights the ability of song to overcome the structural deficit for speech across the autism spectrum. The video also includes Twinkle, Twinkle with the signing we’re using for the 2-4 year old group and One Light with signing that we’re using in the 5-8 year old group.
Music Therapy Services of Portland is directed by board-certified music therapist, Angie Kopshy. Upon completion of her Master’s in Music from Boise State University, Angie returned to Portland to study music therapy at Marylhurst University. Angie opened Music Therapy Services of Portland in January of 2009 and incorporated additional training in both neurologic music therapy and autism in order to create a practice that focuses specifically on children with autism. Angie is also a singer/songwriter with the band, Stoneface Honey.
Big Sky Music Therapy 