As a certified Music Therapist, one of the real joys I’ve found this year is working with children with varying degrees of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Music becomes the motivation and suddenly being noisy and wriggly and jumping from instrument to instrument is not only allowed, but encouraged and praised.
My co-therapist, the music, becomes a beautiful channel that we can use to guide us and usually without even knowing it, the little person in front of me is practicing hard things like mindfulness, sequencing, regulation, self expression and communication.
Here are just a few of the things that I do with these beautiful busy (or dreamy) bodies:
Drumming for Structure
Drumming is rhythm, and rhythm offers structure. When I drum alongside a child with ADHD I might play simple, clear phrases and ask them to repeat them back to me, adding a new rhythm each time. We’re actively practicing sequencing, paying attention, listening and responding (there’s also the impulse control while they wait for their turn). Another skill we’re practicing with the drum is social awareness, listening out for the quality, tempo and dynamic of the rhythms.
Dance for Somatic Awareness
If a child arrives for a session and is full of wiggles, we might Shake it Out to Taylor Swift or another song that can match their energy, increasing bodily awareness and affirming their experience of how it feels inside their body. We might even create playlists of carefully selected music that slowly transition in energy level that they can use at home because they are aware of what their bodies need.
Song Writing for Routine & Communication
I’ve experienced amazing catharsis and joy writing songs with children. With ADHD children who struggle to create routine we might write and record songs that help them manage better – a song for getting dressed in the morning, a song to remind them to take medications, a ‘leaving the house’ song that helps them to make sure they’ve packed everything for the day ahead. Song writing can also offer an amazing platform for kids to express their feelings and communicate with others.
Music gives me and my ADHD clients the tools to actively work on the skills that will help them to manage some of the difficult aspects of ADHD, whilst embracing and celebrating some of the amazing creativity and energy that ADHD affords us. I love working with children with ADHD because seeing a child growing in confidence whilst being themselves is just so rewarding.
Jenny Pott is a HPCSA-registered Music Therapist with bachelor and post-graduate degrees from the South African College of Music as well as a Masters Degree in Music Therapy from the University of Pretoria. Jenny has experience working with a broad range of clients including the following: Children and adults with special needs, ageing and elderly people (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinsons), addiction, burnout, psychiatric care, and corporate wellness and team building. To contact Jenny: jenny.pott@gmail.com.
