Children in New Hampshire recently came back to school from a week of spring vacation. While vacations can be a great time to relax and recharge they are also a giant change in routine for children with autism spectrum disorders who often benefit from routine and structure. When kids return to school it can be difficult for the first few days as kids readjust to being back. Before break maybe a student could sit and engage for 30 minutes and now he is struggling to remain s

The power of entrainment is something we tap into daily when working with individuals with motor and speech challenges. Entrainment is "a temporal locking process in which one system's motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another." (Thaut et. al, 2014). Because entrainment occurs within motor and sensory systems in the brain, auditory rhythms can be utilized to cue movements and movement patterns. "Sound signals and rhythmic music can prime and time muscle act

"the M.I.T. team demonstrated that the speech and music circuits are in different parts of the brain’s sprawling auditory cortex, where all sound signals are interpreted, and that each is largely deaf to the other’s sonic cues, although there is some overlap when it comes to responding to songs with lyrics". Article here: New Ways into the Brain's 'Music Room' #Autism #cerebralpalsy #Mainemusictherapy #NewHampshiremusictherapy

Using sign language engages the children and gives them another or pathway, for a message to be interpreted in the brain. Sign language is part of our whole body learning approach and can aid in receptive language skills as well. We also use sign language with recorded music. Before playing the song for the first time we practice the signs. The songs we choose either have signs we've worked on previously or a repetitive chorus. Some of our favorites include: You've Got a

A multisensory approach enhances learning by engaging more of the brain. Learning that involves multiple senses offers many avenues for a message to be deciphered and information to be retained. During our music therapy sessions we utilize tactile, auditory and visual senses to teach and increase opportunities for participation. Visual: Adding a visual element can offer an additional avenue for information to be understood and retained. We create visuals for 90% of our acti

Drumming in the classroom... We love drumming in the classroom! Drumming is a wonderful tool for developing bilateral coordination, gross motor skills, listening and following directions, developing attention, awareness of others and assists in developing pro-social behavior. Sometimes we drum with one drum rather than group drumming where everyone has a drum. Using one drum works to develop social skills such as sharing, waiting for a turn, and awareness of classmates. It al

Teaching academics using rhythm and melody helps children comprehend and retain information. The different elements of music lights up many areas of the brain which can enhance receptive language and because more of our brain is activated and engaged the messages stay with us for longer. I bet you can remember many things you learned using rhythm and melody as a child. With school aged groups we often target several different academic goals throughout our sessions such as

In small group and 1:1 settings, small percussion instruments are a fun way of targeting multiple goals in one activity. Rhythm sticks are one of my favorite tools! I hand each child a bumpy and a smooth stick so that they can create two sounds, a "click" and a "zip". Rhythm sticks help children work on bilateral coordination, gross motor skills, impulse control, imitation and following directions. Following directions: Play up high, play down low Fast or slow Stop! Go! Cl

Rhythm sticks: bilateral coordination, following directions, impulse control, gross motor imitation Sensory cushion: sensory input, core strengthening, calming/regulation Visuals: engagement, facilitates learning and comprehension Egg shakers: gross motor, following directions, impulse control, cross lateral movement Weighted lap pads: sensory input, regulation, calming Drums: bilateral coordination, social (passing/sharing/turn taking), following directions, impulse control