How music can help children with ADHD
The desire to discover that takes place in childhood, is often accompanied by the phrase"this child does not stop for a moment". This in principle does not have to represent a problem, since it is usually the natural and the own thing in the first decade of life of the little ones, but when can we consider it excessive and think that it could be ADHD? Y, Can music help these children?
The hyperactive children they are a diverse and heterogeneous group with respect to the traits that each individual can manifest, being difficult sometimes to detect them and often they include under the term of hyperactivity other behavioral deviations that are not. It is also a large group, estimating that between 3% and 5% of children present it, of these only a quarter diagnosed, being much more frequent in males than in women.
This deficit attention may be accompanied by a excess of motor whose most frequent features are constant movements of feet and hands, the need for get up frequently or talk continuously, and of a impulsive behavior which gives rise to hasty responses, difficulties in waiting (for example, keeping the shift), interference in the activities of others, etc.
It is very frequent, therefore, that undiagnosed children show low school performance and get bad grades in the area of behavior, which creates low self-esteem not understanding what they do wrong and why your effort does not get the right reward.
How to treat a child with ADHD
Depending on the intensity of the disorder, today the treatment of ADHD is carried out through the joint action of drugs and therapy methods behavioral and cognitive. Although children usually have a rapid response to medication, this is object of controversy because it has to be administered continuously, which according to some doctors, should only be given to children with permanent hyperactivity
Music and ADHD in children
Today there are numerous therapies of different nature that can help correct many of the problems generated by ADHD, so the most important thing is that the problem can be diagnosed and treated in time.
Within the possible therapies, music It can be very useful for:
- Improve the social relationships of the child.
- Help the relaxation.
- Promote the creation ofmental schemes.
- Coordinates and harmonizes itsmoves. Although they are more mobile than other children, they have thegross Motricity (they trip or hit easily) andthin less precise. However, the music must be used as object in itself so that it offers positive results.
How to use music in children with ADHD
The widespread custom of performing an activity with background music to promote relaxationis discouraged in hyperactive children because they have difficulty knowing where to direct theirAttention and the music would actdisorienting targeting.
- Music In this sense, the musical relaxation action work in which short periods of time are alternated is very effective. animated music, in which the child moves and frees his motor need, with others ofquiet music in which, lying down, you should trybreathe in rhythm. In this exercise little by little the rest periods will be increased with respect to the action periods so that the child learns to feel his body calm.
- Play an instrument. It is very useful for hyperactive children who start with an instrumentnot combine the same technique with other activities associated as reading to allow focusing on a single activity.
- The Training in Self-instructions, developed by Meichembaun and Goodman. In it, the teacherexplain out loud how a task is done determined, modeling in this way the mental instructions that the child will later give when it is his turn to repeat the exercise.
Dance therapy
To control themotility, harmonize movements and improve social behavior, dance therapy It can be very helpful. In order for the little one to realize correct and well-defined trajectories and do not invade those of their classmates, they paint on the floor the dance lines that the participants must follow.
This activity also involves the effort of having tostay focused in several simultaneous stimuli, since while the trajectories are made, the steps must be rhythmically in tune with the music.
Source: Excelentia Foundation
