As music teachers, we have a natural advantage since music can be calming or stimulating. This makes it relatively easy to help a student get and stay in their optimal zone within a music lesson. The trick is to be aware of the needs of your student and to find ways within the lesson to meet those needs. If you don’t provide the stimulation then your student will seek it out, and this is where behaviours that are viewed as disruptive often occur. If you’re providing the stimulation along the way, the student will have less need to seek it out and you’re more likely to get through the lesson with your student on-task and ready to learn. Every student is different, but here are a few ideas:
- Start with an opening activity that provides some stimulation to get your student into their optimal zone before tackling anything that requires a lot of concentration, like working on their repertoire. This could be a movement game, rhythm activity using percussion instruments, a welcome song with a backing track that is loud and fast—just to name a few!
- Take breaks away from the instrument to work on musical concepts. Move to the floor or desk, use tactile aids, or have the student move to the music with their whole body (incorporating stability balls is a fun way to get in a lot of stimulation!)
- If you are working on a slow or calm piece, try to sandwich it between activities with a lot of sensory stimulation.
- Provide a sensory aid to help your student get the stimulation they need while playing their instrument (wiggle seats are fantastic!)
Most important is to remember that many of the ADHD behaviours that are often seen as problematic are just the student trying to get themselves into their optimal zone for learning, and that’s a good thing! By incorporating these suggestions and being attuned to your student’s needs for sensory input, you’ll be able to help them get there.
If you’d like to learn more about managing the sensory needs of all of your exceptional students, check out our free recorded webinar, Creating a Sensory-Friendly Music Studio
Happy Teaching!
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