The group BTS member Suga's donation led Severance Hospital to open the Min Yoon-gi treatment center on the first floor of Jejung Hall on the 30th.
Attending the opening ceremony were Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-seop, Yonsei Medical Center Director Geum Ki-chang, Severance Hospital Director Lee Kang-young, Severance Children's Hospital Director Kang Hoon-cheol, Severance Hospital Department of Psychiatry Chief Ahn Seok-gyun, and pediatric psychiatrist and director of the Min Yoon-gi treatment center Professor Cheon Geun-ah, and among outside guests was Kim Yong-jik, president of the Korea Association for the Love of People with Autism.
The Min Yoon-gi treatment center was established based on a 5 billion won fund donated last June to Severance Children's Hospital by BTS member Suga (real name Min Yoon-gi). The center's interior, equipped with safety devices, includes treatment rooms for language and behavioral therapy and a music-social group therapy room fully outfitted with sound and soundproofing. The cozy waiting area for guardians will also display works by autism spectrum disorder artist Lee Gyu-jae, known for his wooden pieces.
Severance Hospital plans to expand and relocate the facility in the future to match the specialization of the center's operation programs, sustainable long-term development, and increased demand.
Since the second half of last year through the first half of this year, Suga has volunteered with Professor Cheon Geun-ah, meeting children with autism spectrum disorder and performing music service activities including guitar playing. Based on this, he and Professor Cheon jointly developed the social group program "MIND," which integrates music into treatment, establishing the world's first arts-convergent treatment and independence system at a university hospital.
Because the MIND program is a music-based therapy using nonverbal means, it is effective even for children with low cognitive ability or who do not respond to language, making communication difficult. It encourages self-expression by allowing children to choose the instruments they want and supports social activity experiences, such as waiting for each person's turn to play through ensemble performance.
In addition, integrated treatment by experts continues. A specialized team made up of pediatric psychiatrists as well as music therapists, speech therapists, behavioral therapists, and clinical psychologists provides tailored treatment for children through case-centered, multifaceted discussion.
Such music-based autism spectrum disorder treatment effects have been reported in studies conducted in countries such as Norway, which found improvements in self-expression and development of social interaction abilities.
In fact, when Suga volunteered, boys A and B, who had not shown active responses when receiving only speech therapy, showed active interest by choosing instruments themselves and playing in time.
Also, boy C, who played the saxophone, had almost no speech or emotional expression but began to show emotions on his face during the process of collaborating with other children and responded to the therapist's attention and praise.
An event for children participating in the MIND program is planned at the end of the year. First, at the "Camp on the spectrum" held in Nov., about 10 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder will participate in band rehearsal, parent education, family recreation and other events over a one-night, two-day schedule, spending time with medical staff and volunteers to enhance social skills. Then in Dec., a performance is being prepared at Yonsei University's main auditorium where the children can show the playing skills they have practiced to their families and the public.
Band rehearsals and stage performances mean that the Min Yoon-gi treatment center provides a foundation beyond treatment for the independence and social growth of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Professor Cheon Geun-ah, director of the Min Yoon-gi treatment center, said the autism spectrum disorder treatment program that combines music with language, behavior and sociality training is the first of its kind in the world and that they aim to continuously develop the program by incorporating various arts activities such as art and physical education into treatment, as well as to train specialists such as speech therapists and behavioral therapists specialized for the program.
Based on this, they plan to pursue globalization of the program by forming partnerships with overseas autism spectrum disorder treatment institutions and to promote clinical research and academic presentations, including publication of program manuals.
Professor Cheon Geun-ah said, "At the Min Yoon-gi treatment center, we not only teach children music to enhance treatment effects but also educate them in social skills," adding, "We expect public perception of disabilities to greatly improve as people see children with autism spectrum disorder striving for independence in society."
[Photo] OSEN DB
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