In a classroom environment, ADHD can sometimes interfere with a child’s progression and education. ADHD is a behavioral disorder that begins in childhood and affects a child’s ability to concentrate and sit still for a sustained amount of time. Some medications and therapies can help alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and improve the child’s classroom experience. One such therapy that has been shown to improve the symptoms of ADHD is music therapy.
How to Know if Your Child has ADHD
ADHD is Diagnosed by a doctor who will first perform a physical examination to rule out other conditions. If nothing is found, the child is then referred to a professional who is trained to Diagnose and treat ADHD. Music therapy has been proven to be an affective treatment in many ADHD cases.
Helping Children Learn
Music is what is known as a “universal language.” In all subjects subjected to a brain scan, music stimulated areas in their brains responsible for:
- Attention
- Memory
- Movement planning
By learning how to listen to the beat and time themselves to it, children learn how to focus their attention on a specific task. Synchronization also helps children learn how to communicate with others without interrupting or losing focus.
Music and memory have a close relationship. Music helps us recall past events and the emotions connected to those events. As a result, music can help improve mood and make children more receptive to learning and retaining information. For example, language and music both have distinctive rhythms and tones which helps teach children how to read.
Promoting Better Social Skills
Music therapy is a “multi-modeled” approach that is used to stimulate all of a child’s senses and involves them on multiple levels. Music therapy uses music to encourage:
- Positive social interaction
- Fine motor skills
- Calm, relaxed behavior
After observing a child’s interactions and behaviors, therapists set goals for the child to reach that is unique to each child’s needs. Music therapy is effective in that it addresses many needs at once and is a fun activity.
