Special Needs

Special Needs

Kaya have been running workshops in a wide variety of specialist settings from the offset – back in 1994 – and we have worked in such places as Special Schools, Care Homes, Supported Housing, Prisons, Mental Health Centres and more. Our trained staff can adapt our workshops to suit everyone.

Call: 07729 638144 / 01672 288815

“Kate and Justin were brilliant with the group and picked up on their personalities and pitched the activities to suit their ages, interests and abilities. The performance the children put on at the end was received very well and was great for all involved to give them a real boost of confidence. Thank you once again for your support.”

– Jenny Astall, Naomi House Hospice –

From our experience using creative workshops – in various schools and special needs groups across the UK – our facilitators have found that these workshops allow people to discover skills that they may not have known they had and how these can be generally applied in their lives, whether that be in school, college, work or home. By giving people a taste of a wide variety of art forms and skill techniques, this opens up new areas of opportunity, whether that be in helping with career choice or giving them something that they can take further in their own way.

The way in which our programmes are structured is completely non-exclusive and can function at any level of need, working successfully with a wide range of people. From those with learning difficulties or mental health issues to those with physical disabilities.

Through drum circles, even those with limited response ability have been seen to be aware of and responsive to the unique and therapeutic environment that is created.

“Drumming promotes active listening; increases individual participation and learning capacity; builds community and dispels stress and disruptive behaviours. Drumming is good for relaxation, fostering a sense of unity and encourages self-expression, resulting in a more positive self-esteem.”

– Barry Quinn, Clinical Psychologist specialising in Neuro-Bio Feedback for Stress Management –

We have had only positive feedback from workshops and previous programmes that have been run. Heads of schools and special needs groups have often actively assessed their own needs and have requested we attend to address these issues.

“St. Luke’s is a special school for students aged 11 – 16 with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Our pupils have challenging behaviour, and many find social interaction difficult. Kaya drums came into the school to work with groups across the age and ability range. Our students showed a very positive response to their approach, and were drawn in and engaged in team-building sessions, where they worked together and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Some of the students opted for further sessions to create a performance piece and, through the supportive and friendly tuition, they endeavoured over the weeks to produce an excellent performance for our parents and governors.

All our students gained from the experience, through building their self-esteem, co-operating with others and learning to listen and respond in harmony. The people from Kaya were always supportive and sensitive to the needs of our students, and gave them a learning experience that we could not offer. I would very much welcome further opportunities to work with Kaya.”

– Jinna Male (Headteacher), St. Luke’s –

Kaya Drum Clubs

For 7 years Kaya provided Music Clubs for children and young people with disabilities as part of Wiltshire Councils Short Breaks programme. We now run the programme in many other settings.
‘Kaya Drum Clubs’ is a project aimed at families who have children and young people with disabilitie. Kaya provide trained, professional staff to run the workshops and support children with any level of disability. The project so far has been a great success with many families booking again and again. This is a great opportunity to either create a break for parents and carers or a chance to play together as family with a fantastic and supportive team of thoughtful staff.

“Each member of the group is encouraged to actively participate to a level that is comfortable for them. The needs of each group and individual are carefully assessed throughout the session with the facilitator working expressly with the dynamic of the group in order to meet their specific needs. Every person will be encouraged to work with their own strengths and expand their comfort zone to the edge where potential becomes reality.”

– Alex Miles –