“Research shows that pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain. This neurotransmitter — responsible for regulating attention, working memory, and motivation — is in low supply in ADHD brains. “Music shares neural networks with other cognitive processes,” says Patti Catalano, a neurologic music therapist at Music Works Northwest.
These days, many people have heard the terms ADHD and ADD when talking about children. In fact, 2 out of 3 children diagnosed with these conditions experience lifelong difficulties into adulthood. It is often found more prominent in boys, and it is sometimes missed in girls because they are not as disruptive in class. This condition directly affects brain development and function.
ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADD = Attention Deficit Disorder
ADD is a form of ADHD. The key difference between the two is hyperactivity (fidgeting, being disruptive in the classroom, talking out of turn, impatience, impulsive, tapping).
Here are the 5D’s of ADHD
- Daydreaming
- Difficulty problem solving
- Directions are hard to follow (raising their hand to talk, standing still in a line)
- Decisions are impulsively made to gain an immediate reward
- Digestion is slower, more trouble with constipation
Other signs correlated with diagnosis
- Mood/Temperament is variable- Goes from happy to angry to sad quickly.
- Anxiety/Nervous- especially when having to choose something or make a decision
- Forgetful- trouble remembering what they ate for breakfast, or what lesson the learned in school that day
- Figiditing- constant movement, tapping toes/fingers, drumming on desk, twirling hair.
Treatment Options
- Danby Music Lessons
- Yoga, Martial Arts, Dance (helps to form rhythm and coordination, & expel extra energy).
- Medications
- Nutritional and Heavy Metal Assessments
- Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy or Group Therapy
How Does Danby Music Lessons Help Combat a& Conquer ADHD?
- Establishes rhythm, tone and allows for constant fidgeting on an instrument.
- Establishes pattern work for the brain to connect more quickly in decision making.
- Improves memory and recall by having 1-2 weekly sessions allowing the student to repeat and conquer their music material.
- Improves confidence, allowing them to be more self aware of their mind and body.
- Promotes emotional support, by expressing their pent up/mixed up emotions with voice, piano, guitar or other instrument of choice.
- Enhances their ability to follow directions – music has an order, and following this order can allow the child to improve their ability to follow directions with home and school activities.
Are Music Lessons Right For Me or My Child?
- Everyone can benefit from learning music – It typically takes 2 months of steady routine visits to see results in school/home. The work of music positively affects the brain directly, unlike an artificial chemical which affects only receptors.
More Quotes for Success!
“Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music,” said the late Oliver Sacks, M.D., neurologist and author of Musicophilia.”
“Hearing songs of varying rhythms can slow down or speed up your child’s mental and physical processes., Tomaino says you can trigger an intuitive, neurological reaction that your child doesn’t know he is having. Does Lady Gaga get your daughter moving? Play it after school to burn off excess energy. Does Moby slow down her pace? Play it before bed to begin the daily wind-down.
“Rhythm, melody, and tempo are tools used to target non-musical behaviors, to catapult change throughout the body,” says Rebecca West, with the Music Institute of Chicago.
“When I work to extend a child’s attention, I sit alongside him with a drum,” says Catalano. “I play a beat with clear phrases, the child repeats it, and we add beats each time. I’m asking him to listen, pay attention, and control his impulses. I’m also showing him that his turn is worth waiting for.”
Resources:
WebMD for definitions of ADD and ADHD
https://www.additudemag.com/music-therapy-for-adhd-how-rhythm-builds-focus/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4585247/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369551/
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/135945750401800203
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/030573567861005