How much stimulation is enough?

[Anonymous]

How much stimulation is enough? How much stimulation is too much?  Share your thoughts on the forum.

[Rachel Sedmak]

I think that enough stimulation is being provided when the children are engaged in watching and listening, vocalizing, exploring instruments, or moving about the room in a way that is obvious they are listening and processing the music. Signs of too much stimulation might include the child crying or displaying a grimacing affect, or the child pulling away from the group in distress.

[Mikelia Wallace]

Signs that there is enough stimulation are any sort of musical behavior. When stimuli become too much, a child may hold onto their caregiver, cry or scream. I think something we have to take into consideration is that as music therapists, we work with varying levels of neurodiversity, over/under-stimulation can look a lot of different ways, including children engaging in stimming behaviors to regulate themselves. This is just something we have to be mindful of as we gear sessions to the child’s needs.

[Erika Svolos]

An important reminder about neurodiversity and our neurodivergent kiddos. Thank you Mikelia!

[Amy Berggren]

I think there is enough stimulation when the child is demonstrating they are engaged such as watching what you are doing or actively making music. Watching for signs of over-stimulation (crying, disengaging, pulling away from music experience) is also incredibly important to ensure the children are getting the best experience from the music.

[Favor Chujor]

I believe just the right amount of stimulation is when a child can actively participate within the session, however that looks for them. But, this depends on each child and the energy in the room in general, which is why it’s so important for us, as therapists, to really be grounded and present in each session so we can notice and adapt to the levels of stimulation in the room.

[Sophia Paravalos]

Stimulation levels can be so hard because some kiddos will easily be overstimulated, crying, covering their ears, wincing in their facial affect etc. while another kiddo in the class could be the opposite and feel understimulated, shaking the maraca very close to their ear and standing close to the guitar or drum vibrations. It can honestly be a tricky game sometimes but I find keeping the general music (voice and guit) at a medium level that is not too much for the most overstimulated kiddo is a safe zone and adapting from there. If another child starts adding to the level of stimulation, the therapist can then take down the general song stimulation to maintain a lower level.

[Erik Hylan]

This topic is tricky to navigate in groups because every child has different stimulatory needs and limits. Every child also displays different behaviors when they are over or under stimulated. I think you can gauge an appropriate level of stimulation when the children show comfort in participating in an experience and actively engaged in music making in a safe matter. Signs of overstimulation can be a number of things such as leaving the space, covering ears, becoming withdrawn, or even becoming physically aggressive. This is why it is so important to be present with every child so you can better understand their needs and how to accommodate.

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