Dance therapy class aims to help children with disabilities express themselves

Dance can help children with disabilities express themselves when words fail, according to Timmins autism specialist and dance teacher Jessica Croussette.

Autism specialist and dance teacher Jessica Croussette talks with CTV News about her new dance movement therapy class for children with developmental disabilities at the Timmins Museum. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News Northern Ontario)Until now, she said, local options have been limited.

“I see the lack of activities and things that the kids can do that are not very pricey or take up a lot of time,” said Croussette.

“Where the parents can just come and have fun and let the kids do what they gotta do.”

Crousette decided to combine her passion for dance and working with children and offer dance movement therapy.

On Saturday, around eight children between the ages of six and 12 attended her debut class at the Timmins Museum – the participants included children with autism, ADHD and other developmental disabilities.

Croussette said she finds it to be an effective activity.

“It works your social skills, with other kids in the class, it works your group skills, your listening skills,” she said.

“It works all your gross motor skills, so just having to stand and balance or move. It works all of your muscles—a lot of the kiddos with disabilities have either a balance issue or a fine motor issue.”

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The smiles on parents' faces tell it all as they told CTV News that they were glad to give their little ones a new experience.

Katrina Simisiroglou brought her daughter, Lillian, thrilled to be able to jump, spin and twirl her heart out

“She is very energetic and she absolutely loves to dance, so, that’ll be a good way for her to burn off some energy and communicate.”

When asked if she enjoyed the class, a non-verbal Lillian let out sounds of excitement, seeming to say she loves to dance.

Asked about her favourite activity during the class, Lillian waved her arms just as she did while playing with colourful streamers during a dance exercise.

“She absolutely loved it,” said Simisiroglou.

Croussette said she hopes the class will become a local staple and help enrich these children’s lives.

“(It) gives them something to be a part of,” she said.

“It gives them a group, it gives them friends. It gives them a sense of community.”

“A lot of times these kiddos struggle in a regular group because they either have too much energy or they have a hard time with the structure, so when you’re doing a creative dance class, they’re free to do that,” Croussette added.

Croussette told CTV News she hopes to offer more classes soon – including exploring different styles of dance.

She said these youngsters deserve to have a place where they can feel free to dance like no one is watching.