Music plays a powerful part in our lives. It can be used to create memories and then trigger them later in life. Music is important for adults and children, but especially for those with special needs and disabilities. So, how does music help students with disabilities? Continue reading to find out more.
How can you use music with special needs?
The use of music therapy for learning disabilities has many benefits, and can help to improve communication, interaction and self-expression.
Music therapy can also help empower people by offering them choices, increasing motivation, and encouraging physical activity and coordination. It can also be used to learn new things at a young age. With the help of music and songs, children can learn letters, numbers, and more.
Learning challenges can affect a child emotionally, behaviourally and physically. But introducing music into their day-to-day activities can help improve their wellbeing. It has been shown that playing an instrument can help children with ADHD or learning disabilities by increasing their attention span and their appetite for learning.
Four ways music helps those with disabilities
Music has a powerful effect on everyone, but it can be used in an educational setting for children or adults with complex needs. Using music with special needs education has many benefits, including:
- Helping you bond
- A multi-sensory experience
- Motivation
- Self-regulation
How does music help those with disabilities bond?
Listening to, playing with, or dancing to music can strengthen the bond between you and your child or even between a student and teacher. Getting into a routine of listening to music daily, singing along to it, and even dancing can greatly improve the rapport with a child.
Introducing physical instruments into this routine can also help. It is well known that playing an instrument can greatly improve a child’s attention and motivation to learn.
How does music help those with disabilities get a multi-sensory experience
A child playing with a musical instrument will trigger many senses, which is excellent for improving their learning abilities. Some children have sensory processing difficulties, and using instruments to trigger certain senses and emotions is a great way to help them learn and even come out of their shells in front of others.
Picture a child playing with a drum. It is a multi-sensory experience as they feel the drumstick in their hand, engage movement of their arm and wrist to bang the drum, and hear the noise it makes on impact. Their visual senses are also triggered as they focus on a point of the drum to hit with the drumstick.
Not only does this type of exercise trigger multiple senses, it is also great fun for the child.
How does music help those with disabilities feel motivated?
Music can be used as a motivational tool. Sportsmen and women use music to motivate themselves before competing, and the same therapy can be used for children and adults with complex needs. Music therapy can also motivate a child to work on a difficult task.
Here are some examples of how you can implement this:
- Sing a song during a challenging task, as the child may be more willing to go along with it
- Use different instruments to develop motor skills
- Use an instrument to promote communication. For example, urging a child to ask to use the drums.
How does music help nonverbal students?
Music can be nonverbal, which is especially good for children and adults who are nonverbal. Playing music with compelling beats and a catchy tune can bring a child out of their shell.
It can also be used as a motivational tool to begin a task or urge a child to get up and dance, providing physical stimulation.
Special needs support at Seashell
Here at Seashell, we make use of music at our special needs colleges and specialist residential schools to create happy and safe environments for children and young people with complex learning disabilities and additional communication needs.
Not only do we offer specialist facilities, we also offer support for the extended family that cares for each one of our students and residents. We understand the difference that can be made to all those connected lives. That is why we strive to include the whole family and the wider community in the life experience of our children and young people.
You can also rely on Seashell for all things sensory training and disability training. So get in touch with Seashell to find out more about the many things we do today!
