This program is the newest addition to Dunnottar School. It was established out of a need to provide education to students with multiple disabilities, who had never been in the general education classroom, as a result lack of access to school building.

Students’ ages range from 5 – 21.

The Centre provides instructional development i.e. sensory play, language, social, gross and fine motor skills, academics and daily living skills. Students can either be integrated into other programmes at the school or the general education classroom with accommodation.

There are six teachers and two aides assigned to this department.

Music therapy is offered to students at the Multiple Disability Centre, as well as a few students from the autism and life-skills aspect of the Pre-vocational Skills Department. Music is used as a therapeutic tool to assist students in the development of their receptive and expressive language and attentive skills.

For the students with cerebral palsy who attend the Multiple Disability Centre, music therapy also assists them in having greater control of their involuntary movements through the playing of simple instruments.

In the autism department, music therapy has proven to work extremely well at lessening the anxiety of many of the students on the autism spectrum. It provides a form of auditory sensory input that lessens uncomfortable stimulus from the environment or encourages a greater awareness of auditory input.