Tuesday, July 24, 2018

How Drumming Helps Kids with Special Needs



Drumming is not just an activity enjoyed by many. Drumming can be a basic musical therapeutic element that will benefit kid with special needs. The kids that find it difficult to express themselves or have problems with their communication skills can benefit from drumming therapy techniques. There are several benefits on how a child with special needs will benefit from this form of therapy and they are as follows:

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Note: If your child has special needs it is advisable to get a drum set for him/her. It’s recommended to get a drum set for beginners, since the child as no history playing drums.

Motor skill improvement

One of the benefits is the improvement of the hand to eye coordination of the child. Kids with special needs could find it difficult to develop their motor skills. The Drumming therapy is recommended for the child. It involves giving a child a mallet to use as a tool to develop his/her motor skills. When the child is given more drums, he/ she will develop movement, good motor skills and grasping among other aspect.

Communication and speech

Another benefit of drumming that’s being used as a therapeutic tool, is the improvement of the child’s communication skills. A musical therapist form the company Albert Knapp & Associate called John Mew uses drumming to promote speech through the beat. While using the sounds of the drum, with time the children will learn how to say words phrases and even sentences.

Impulse and control techniques

It is really unhealthy for a kid who doesn’t know how to control their emotions. It could lead to damage of his/herself and others around the child. Drumming can help to calm the mind of the child who has no control over his/her impulses. This techniques is required to be used on short-tempered kids. It’s done in a way such that the impulse/emotions of the child is expressed during the drumming sessions. This literally letting it all out just to calm the mind.

Social skills

Drumming is often a cooperative and interactive activity. While the child learns drumming there will be other kids that are learning too. They will take turns and share between each other if only a drum is in use. The child will begin to feel like a part of a group or social setting. Then from there develop social skills by interacting with their fellow group members.

Improving self-esteem

Drumming is quite a fun activity whereby kids of various ages would love to beat drums. The fact that they are enjoying the activity improves their self-esteem which will lead to more confidence in their day to day life.

Improving decision making

Drumming sessions can have a positive effect on the child’s decision making skill. By developing their attention span and improving their impulse control in order to ultimately give the child the ability to make better decisions.

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