Written by Aliya Soraya Shafiee
Do you know that one of the fun way of teaching and motivating children is by music? Music, can be used as wat of educating children especially for children who have special needs. It can’t be argued that music actually helps children in learning life skills, also in children’s development. Children often experess their feelings and show their creativeness through music, while some of us may think that it is not a type of theraphy.
Rarely we know that when children are playing a good quality of music instruments during a theraphy session, it actually helps them especially for children who has difficulties in their sense of hearing, moving, responding and so forth. Each of these senses can provide them an experience to the music in their own way. Like they way they strum the ukulele, or even beat the drum, blowing the recorder or even hit the triangular. This may causes them to have cognitive stimulation, increasing motor movements, self-respond on the music beat whereby these are some of the goals in conducting this kind music theraphy for children.
Apart from that, participation will be even better when it comes to music thereaphy. By participating in this kind of therephy, a person who suffers cerebal palsy can stimulate their communication skills, how they express their emotions, and also, helping them to be more socialize, such as being brave to talk to people or even becomes confident in what they do. To add on, not many realized that actually children who suffer autism or Asperger is lack with their social skills which caused them to be afraid to participate in a social situations such as playing with friends or meeting new friends. Autism childrens tend to have interest in music as they can actually express themselves, also communicating non-verbaly with others.
Music is very helpful in condition where they are unable to express themselve verbally. It is a medium that actually explores the inner world of someone. Not only that, a person who suffer in developmental delays and learning diasbilities, such as autism or down syndrome will indeed give better response to music.
Additionally, motor skills and imagination of children can be increased by musical intrument. This happens especially in classroom. Children can create their own sound of music, according to their imagination. Probably, they can imagine that they have a band with their friends while playing instruments with their friends!
Meanwhile, in medical line, music also act as a tool in calming down children. In other words, it can be said that music tend to comfort children who has a traumatic experience, for example after they undergo a surgery. Indeed, it is a powerful tool that can grab the patient’s attention from pain suffering and make them more relax than before.
All in all, parents should have knowledge on using music as a theraphy for their children. It can help children in improving their cognitive skills, social skills, communication skills and so forth. This also applies to children who actually need a special care such as autism or down syndrome. A suitable type or genre of music, such as a soothing sound of music need to be recognized so that people would not simply play any unsuitable genre to be listened by children. It is fine to spend on music instrument for your children as it actually encourage their mental development!