We know all children can have moments of distraction or hyperactivity. While this happens to every child at some point, it can seriously interfere with everyday activities for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD).
And while ADHD can be managed through therapy, medications, and more focused parental supervision, many parents don’t realize that music-based therapy can often make their child’s ADHD easier to manage.
Understanding ADHD
It is estimated that 5.9% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide have ADHD. It is usually first identified during early childhood and is more commonly seen in boys. ADHD often presents itself as inattentiveness (lack of focus), hyperactivity (excessive movement or the inability to stay still) and impulsivity (acting suddenly without careful thought).
Because of its characteristics, some children with ADHD begin displaying disruptive behavior during school and may struggle to focus on tasks like homework or studying. Of course, this can lead to other disruptive behaviors at home, and it’s good to get it identified early through testing if you feel your child has some of these symptoms.
Two common treatments for children with ADHD are behavior therapy and medication that will help them focus. Many parents of children with ADHD immediately seek one or both options without realizing music can be a powerful tool as well. While music on its own is not always the complete answer, it can sometimes help calm an ADHD brain enough to effectively reduce medication doses.
One of the wonderful things about music-based therapy is that it can have a potentially positive outcome with relatively no to low risks. A young child’s brain is highly plastic, and able to change and heal in a way an adult brain simply cannot, so identifying the problem and beginning help early is so valuable.
How Music Can Help
Neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks once said, “Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music.”
Music therapy has shown to be a valuable remedy to help people with ADHD, autism, Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, and many other disorders. When it comes to children with ADHD, music therapy has specifically proven to boost attention and focus, decrease levels of hyperactivity, and enhance social skills.
So how does it work?
Scientists have observed that people with ADHD tend to have lower levels of dopamine—the neurotransmitter that controls one’s motivation, attention, memory and focus—than those without ADHD. However, a recent study found that “listening to the music you love will make your brain release more dopamine, a crucial neurotransmitter for humans’ emotional and cognitive functioning.”
Music also helps block out other distractions, which increases focus and therefore productivity for the individual. Furthermore, music can help to calm the individual when they are over stimulated with distractions around them.
Since music activates all regions of the brain, these activated regions work together to become stronger, resulting in increased motivation and better concentration.
In a 2020 study, scientists discovered that music interventions could indeed improve attention spans. In this experiment, 35 children aged 6-9 participated in a 30-minute video game intervention and then a 30-minute music intervention.
The video game intervention consisted of playing a bowling game on Wii Sports while computer-generated background music played, and the musical intervention consisted of playing three different percussion instruments.
After each intervention, the children completed a standardized attention assessment and results showed the music intervention boosted attention management; however, the video game intervention did not.
What types of music help?
Focusing the ADHD mind can be a difficult task and while all music has the potential to be therapeutic, finding the most effective music for your child often takes time and will depend on the individual.
Everyone has their own unique music taste, which often begins developing at a young age. You should allow your child to explore different musical genres so they can determine their own preferences and see which helps them.
Because music can result in natural dopamine stimulation, it’s possible for their favorite music to help them focus better. However, this isn’t always the case, as it can be too distracting for some kids. If your child is too distracted by their favorite music, consider playing classical music, which has been shown to have more of a calming effect than other genres.
A study in 2018 that wanted to assess the calming effect of different genres of music on patients about to undergo surgery showed that classical music led to decreased heart and breathing rates as well as lowered emotional distress. Classical music also increases cortisol levels in the brain, which helps to reduce blood pressure and anxiety/stress.
More applicably, classical music has proven to be beneficial in calming the ADHD brain. According to Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, also known as “Dr. E” on TV shows such as The Today Show, “Some genres of music may be more useful for promoting concentration when it comes to music for ADHD symptoms. Aim for soothing, medium-tempo music with simple rhythms. Consider listening to classical composers like Vivaldi and Chopin.”
A study conducted by Donald Shetler, Ed.D., of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester discovered that in general, children who listened to classical music for at least 20 minutes a day showed improved speech and language skills, a stronger memory, and greater organization of the brain.
Instrumental music without lyrics also reduces the risk distraction because the listener is not tempted to sing along or pay close attention to the meaning of the lyrics.
Classical music is also great for bedtime! If your child is hyperactive and has trouble falling asleep, consider playing some relaxing classical tunes to help them fall asleep quicker.
While the Nuryl curriculum was created to help stimulate brain growth, it can also have positive calming effects as well and may be good as a therapeutic answer to young children (and adults) with ADHD.
Also, our Sleepy-Time playlist was created with the purpose of promoting faster, healthier sleep for your child. This feature is included in all Nuryl subscriptions and consists of 17 original pieces. The reception and praise of this playlist by our users has been wonderful! You can hear previews of the music here.
Helpful tips:
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or is showing symptoms of it, there are several steps you can take as a parent to help soothe their brain.
Experiment with different genres of music – What type of music does your son or daughter like the most? While classical music can help soothe the brain, your child might prefer something more upbeat.
Play music in the background—Once you’ve determined the right type of music for your child’s condition, play it during certain routine activities such as during meals or bath time.
Play attention-boosting games—Games like Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light require good listening skills to win. In addition, certain toys such as jigsaw puzzles require concentration and even help boost logical thinking skills.
Quiz them – The next time you read your child a story, ask them questions throughout it or at the end to ensure they were following along.
Encourage music in the classroom – If your child is in school, consider speaking with their teachers about the occasional use of background music when appropriate. Some teachers might play it while students complete simple tasks like painting or coloring.
Encourage them to play an instrument – If your child is passionate about music, they may be interested in learning musical skills.
Learning an instrument can help improve concentration, can help improve spatial reasoning skills and relieves stress. To learn more, read our blog on introducing your child to an instrument here as well as the Suzuki Method here.
Taking the right steps
As a parent, you may feel tempted to distance your child from distracting objects or noises when they can’t focus or stay still. However, music shouldn’t be disregarded because it has shown to be a very valuable tool in managing ADHD.
Keep in mind that every child’s brain is different and what works for some might not work for others. Therefore, it’s important for parents to help their children experiment with different options until they find the most suitable one.
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