Share your thoughts.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Share your thoughts with the board on how much stimulation is enough? How much stimulation is too much?

[Michelle Russell]

I think that stimulation needs can shift from session to session. It is our responsibility as facilitators to “read the crowd” so to speak. At this developmental level most children enjoy animated faces and voices. Most children at this point can handle longer periods of stimulation. When structuring a session we try to “cool down” the group as we reach the ending. But sometimes we will have to do this sooner. If a child becomes overstimulated it would be best for the facilitator to pull the energy back a bit. I would also try to talk to the parent and acknowledge that the child may be getting overstimulated and share with the group the signals the child was giving us. I would encourage them to physically reconnect with mom/dad as we move on to a less stimulating activity. It can be hard to work with children that are new to us, and most importantly when we are new to them. we need to air on the side of caution as we get to know then and their little personalities.

[Kayla Lyles]

I definitely agree with you Michelle. I do believe stimulation needs shift from not only session to session, but child to child. We have to be able to read our children, meet them where they are and provide the experiences that best suit the amount of stimuli they are able to tolerate – which can vary. If a child is becoming overstimulated, perhaps the energy level needs to be brought down and vice versa. I also love how you discuss sharing with the parent signs and signals to watch for with regards to overstimulation (because their involvement is key in the sessions) and encouraging that reconnection with mom/dad/caregiver 🙂

[Jaycie Voorhees]

I love what’s Michelle and Kayla mentioned. It’s all about being in the moment and recognizing the needs and responses of the group members. It’s nice that we have the powerful tool of music to either increase stimulation where needed or to promote a more calm atmosphere. Most of the kids in my groups of this age have special needs and may have auditory sensitivies and be overaroused, while another peer has other disabilities and appear to need more stimulation in order to get their body moving or show other visible signs of engagement. It gets tricky when there is a range of needs within the group, but I think that assuring parents throughout the group that what their child is manifesting is “okay” and giving possible explanations for the responses (such as covering ears and vocalizing meaning that a child may have more auditory sensitivity than another), and doing whatever you can do address that need while keeping the group together is all you can do.

I think it’s also important to note that there will probably be times when things feel a bit chaotic if there is a lot of crying or a decrease in focus, but using techniques such as rhythmic engagement, changes in the auditory environment/timbre, and directional singing can help move those moments into a general sense of calm. It’s important for everyone (parents, child, and therapist) to develop skills to increase tolerance for those moments as well as discover ways to work through them.

[Milijana Majstorovic Kozul]

That is very important question!
I agree with everybody…..
Also, I think that it will be good for children to “ meet” the instruments and that we have to show and to offer them instruments step by step from session to session. Sound stimulation can be sometimes too much for their brain so therefore we have to be careful about that.
During the sessions we will meet the needs and possibilities of the group and personally so we should have to manage our activities according to that. The most important thing that we don` t want to happend is that we don t want to any child to make-create wrong association with music especially on that age. We can prevent that (on the session) and if it is necessary tell the parents about possible sensitivity when they are making music with them home.

[Megan Dewing]

I agree with everything that has been shared as well! “Reading the room,” so to speak, is something that I think we as music therapists are uniquely able to do. We can see when the instrument play is getting a little too crazy, and bring the stimulation down within the music. Noticing when a “cool down” might be needed in the middle of the session is just as important as building one into the end of the session.

As Kayla stated, parent involvement is key to the session. Their child might need a little more caregiver bonding throughout the session, or they might want to have more independence and watch mom/dad from the other side of the room. Helping the parent to understand this, and also to notice when they might be getting overstimulated is also a big part of what we can do in the session.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I also really agree with most of what others have listed, especially the “err on the side of caution” statement. I feel like that is a personal philosophy of mine, particularly in a situation like this. I also have to understand that when I actually get into the room and we’re in the middle of a group, there is a whole lot more stimulation occurring than just me, my singing, and some instruments. There are lots of kids crawling/walking/running around, too! And I think all of those things can easily combine to turn into something a bit more overwhelming than perhaps one would think it might be during session planning. So I totally agree with all of the statements about reading the room and adapting in the moment – something that we, as music therapists, are already really used to doing.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Your answers really support our belief that the very best people to work with music and young children are music therapists!!!

[Amanda Braden]

I agree with everything all of you have said about catering to the responses of the children in the room and adjusting the music and interventions based on those responses. Again, I agree that we must have a good balance between action and calm music experiences as well as “outward” experiences between peers and “inward” experiences between parent and child. I’ve led sessions in the past that have been too stimulating for clients in which they would lay on the floor to express that they were tired and wanted a break from all of the moving, instrument play, or time to explore the instruments around the room. They wanted to come back, sit down, and sing a song about animals. I’ve also experienced the opposite when clients are fidgety in their seat and want to get up and move around to express that they’re finished sitting and singing animal songs. So, I too think it’s important for us as music therapists to be paying attention to the children’s responses and making the proper adjustments in the music and experiences. Also, I think that it’s important for us as the facilitators to make sure that we have a good balance of action and calm in the flow of the session as we’re planning sessions to help avoid too much stimulation or not providing enough stimulation.

[Anonymous]

Echoing what Beth said. You all demonstrate how knowledgeable music therapists are and how they can recognize and meet their client’s needs moment to moment.

[Christine Czuhajewski]

I agree with everyone that this question just shows why music therapists are ideal for working with this age group in this environment! The careful consideration of different instruments- what sounds might be too much, when/how to introduce specific instruments to children help with maintaining the right balance of stimulation. At this stage, there will be more stimulation from the music than in the Sprouts 1 classes. However, the stimulation level will change child to child. Maybe the modale of the music has a very drastic effect on one child, maybe musical surprises startle another child more than expected, or maybe the sound of another child crying or trying to vocalize a lot might be overstimulating. Every child will be different and it’s going to be a team effort from the therapist and parent to keep the child regulated. Obviously, the therapist will do everything he/she can with the music and their room scans to let the music facilitate in the best way possible for the whole group. However, if a child becomes too stimulated or maybe needs a little boost, then the therapist can give the parent pointers on how to move or engage with the child to meet them where they are. Parents also know their kids better than anyone else, so if they know about specific triggers that can over-stimulate their child, they would be able to share this, or at least share specific indicators or overstimulation if their child demonstrates it in unique ways. I definitely like what Amanda said about the therapist facilitating to balance the flow with active and calming music. With the right balance, the music should be able to catch everyone at their energy level at some point and then bring them along for the ride!

[Katie Whipple]

When working with a group versus individuals this can be much more tricky! I think the level of stimulation should mimic the therapy session arc… you start small then give them more in the middle and then back it back down to end the session. There are many factors though… choosing to give the kiddos instruments obviously can be very stimulating for some… some may find that everyone singing loudly is too stimulating. You really just have to keep your observation skills keen… consistently scan the room and make changes accordingly. You may need to situate yourself somewhere if your voice and guitar are just too much for one of the kiddos. Being flexible is key. But as far as “what is too much” stimulation varies with each kid and the state they are in. Especially if there are any children in the group with some sensory integration issues.

[Mary Withington]

I always have run my music therapy groups in a similar fashion no matter what the age or population, in that I start slowly, easing into the situation, getting a feel for the clients and their energy level, emotional state. Then move slowly and build to more energetic or intense activity, backing off some, moving forward in energy, and then cooling down and closing. There is definitely an ebb and flow of energy, a crescendo and diminuendo, and coda or closure. This age group usually needs more energy and movement at first, and then a calmer middle, then more stimulation via instruments, then a calming towards closure. But that is in general. Certain days the group might need more movement, and certain days they might need more bonding and calming time. The weather, disruption of routine , teething, a different person bringing them to the group, and a full moon and change to daylight saving times really affect the mood and energy levels of the children, so you have to be observant, aware and adaptable and flexible. I know with autistic kids the noise level can be over stimulating and/ or unbearable, so there needs to be an awareness of that. However, I’ve seen autistic kids pick the loudest instrument and play it loudly with no trouble, so I think if they are In control of the sound source, that is a factor, too. I always let parents know they can adapt the activity to their child’s needs. Turn a calm rock and sway into an active dance, or stop, move away from an active activity to rock and sway or take a time out from the class and step outside for a minute. You just have to observe and adapt, and let the parents know that is OK to do. It’s following the child’s needs.

[Darcy Lipscomb]

Enough stimulation versus too much stimulation is going to vary minute to minute and child to child. As everyone said, this is where our therapeutic skills can shine: read the room & adapt in the moment. Levels of stimulation is usually the one of the first things I consider when creating a plan for my groups. Do we need to start soft and slow to ease into the session (SM1), or do we need to promptly provide an appropriate outlet for potentially bottled up energy? As Mary and Katie mentioned, I keep the bell curve in mind and often schedule interventions in a sine wave pattern as well. Now, the actual session doesn’t always match the schedule of interventions, but that is one thing sets us apart.

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