Share your thoughts.

[Meredith Pizzi]

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

[Lauren Roberts]

At the risk of feeling like I’m taking the “cop out” answer on this one, I really think that the children will let you know how much is enough and what is too much. As the videos mentioned, you want to keep the energy level higher than in Sprouting Melodies 1, and I found the suggestion of making an energy level map or diagram for the session very helpful. I can definitely see myself implementing that in my session planning across the board, not just for Sprouting Melodies.

If the children spend more time outside of the circle more than inside actively participating, the level of stimulation is off somehow. However, I would hesitate to make the determination as to whether it means stimulation is too much or not enough. On one hand, I could see myself arguing that if a child is exploring outside the circle more often than he is in the circle that it would mean he is not stimulated enough and is seeking stimulation elsewhere. On the other hand, I could also see myself arguing that if a child is exploring outside the circle more often than he is in the circle that it could mean he is TOO stimulated in the circle and needs/is seeking a break.

Children in Sprouting Melodies 2 are much more active compared to Sprouting Melodies 1, and need a higher energy level. What may have been overstimulating and startling to a child in Sprouting Melodies 1 is now the “surprise” they enjoy repeatedly in Sprouting Melodies 2. Because there are so many changes that can be made between these two groups, I can see myself really highlighting these differences in my session planning in order to give the children more new experiences. As a result, I feel like I would be more likely to err on the side of making things too stimulating than not stimulating enough.

[Barb Blackburn]

I do think there is such a thing as too much stimulation! Too many colors, movements, and sounds can be overwhelming. They say (whoever “they” are) that you should not allow your child to watch television before the age of 1-ish, because it’s just too much stimulation and they cannot process it and it typically just ends up upsetting them. I’ve seen this first-hand when I was a nanny. We have some of the lollipop drums at our clinic but I would not personally use these with Sprouting Melodies 1 or 2, I think they can be too much sometimes.

I really like how Elizabeth mentioned being authentic, you can overdo your excitement and silliness and children can sense that. It is very important to be real with the kids. Surprises are also a GREAT way to interact with the kids, they do love that so much but again, like Elizabeth mentioned, it’s easy to overdo it and we don’t want to scare the kids. It’s not necessarily the “scare” that they like, it’s the anticipation of what is to come. When you pause, or hold a note longer than the typical duration the kids get excited, there’s no need for the big finish, just the finish in general is exciting for them.

We do a hello song in session where at the end we sing “Hello everybody, hello everybody, hello everybody, it’s time for music today, ooooohhhhhh yeeeaaaaahhhhh. And the “oh yeah” part is everyone’s favorite because we’ll extend it out longer for that anticipation period before finalizing the song with the closing chord.

I also agree with Laruen too, the kids will let you know how much is enough and too much. =)

[Kristen Crouch]

SM 2 seems to allow more stimulation than SM 1 but without it being too much. I think its very important to constantly watch the children and assess how they are handling the stimulation. I think this is a good time to start introducing different types of stimulation like scarves, instruments, even changes in dynamics and tempo and timbre. But like with anything its in small amounts and it builds on each other over the course of time.

Something I’ve been pondering in my mind is how much stimulation is too much in the environment of the room. I tend to have a very busy space with lots of information, colors, and textures which may be ok for older kids but probably not for the little ones. I’ve noticed that other mt spaces tend to be very bland – lacking in color and textures and information and always wondered why. Perhaps its better to have a neutral background so that the activity, music, instruments, scarves, people that are in the music group are the focus and children are not distracted by all the other stimuli. Still working this out in my mind….

[Lauren Caso]

I think it is important to not only be able to match the children’s energy in the room, but also be aware of how your own energy level can affect the children in the group. Sometimes if you are feeling tired, you may find your self keeping the energy calmer throughout the group. If you are feeling rundown, you may have to dig down deep, and really jump up-and-down with the children to engage them at times. I find that this will actually boost my energy again! There is definitely something to be said for creating appropriate energy in the space, and foster a real feeling of connection within the group. But you definitely need to practice playing your songs while singing and jumping up and down…. You may even need to supplement this with some cardiovascular training on your off days 😉

[Kristina Rio]

Hi Kristen! Our music therapy space here in Melrose is a neutral color with very few things hanging on the walls. We keep the instruments on shelves high up on the walls so they are out of reach and are not a distraction. I definitely see a benefit having a more calm and neutral space regarding the walls and the floor so that the focus is on the music or the therapist. I have one client that I see at our office space as well as in a group out in the community. Our office space is much more neutral than the space I see her in for group sessions, and she is able to focus more. The same thing can happen when out in the community going to families homes. Sometimes the excess stuff is just too distracting. One thing you can do, which I have done is use small colored rug squares for older kids that thrive with more stimulation, and it’s something that can be removed and put away.

[Lauren Roberts]

Loved the question/comments about the environment itself being stimulating! I would assume if they’re already stimulated by the environment, to a degree it could affect how stimulating you are able to be with the music before it all becomes too much. Less stimulating environment could open doors for more stimulating music activities that otherwise may have been overstimulating. Likewise, having a less stimulating environment will make it so that children can better relax/calm during less stimulating activities as well.

[Bernadette Skodack]

I did like the point about the lollipop drums possibly being overstimulating…definitely something I would not have thought of! Usually I can tell if one of my clients is overstimulated by changes in their demeanor or behavior. I can think of one client in particular who will bounce their leg when overstimulated. However, there are times when the quiet, soft music isn’t stimulating enough, and I can read the body language of the client to determine this. Another thing I’ve had to do is close the door to my room because of the hall noise being too loud and overstimulating for my clients.

[Ann Dardis]

I’ve found the parachute to be too stimulating for children under 18 months of age. There have been quite a few times a mom has had to scoop up her child and hold them rather because the child over-stimulated by the movement of the parachute & the other children.

[Amy Dunlap]

I agree with Lauren that we can gauge stimulation needs by really paying attention to each child’s behaviors. I believe that enough stimulation is evidenced by attention (not necessarily active engagement), while overstimulation or not enough stimulation is evidenced by fussing, crying, adverse behaviors (i.e. beating the wall), or a failure to sustain attention.

In working with adults with severe developmental disabilities, I have become more aware of how stimulating some instrumental timbres can be. As was mentioned in the video, I have realized that tambourines can be extremely alerting or unpleasant. I think in SM 2, timbres can be expanded from SM1, but harsh timbres should still be avoided (at least in early sessions). I think paddle/frame drums have really grounding timbres that are likely to engage through resonance without overstimulating.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

Everyone has made such good points! I definitely agree with Lauren that paying attention to a child’s behaviors will tell you a lot about whether there is too little or too much stimulation. My experience in working with older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease has helped with some of those observation and assessment skills, and I hope that those will carry over with some of the little babies in SM1! I think that overstimulation and understimulation can look similar as far behaviors go, and adjustments can be made in the moment to determine what the child needs. In a group with multiple children, it will take constant assessment to determine how to balance the stimulation needs of each and every child.

I would not have thought so much about the environment (ie colorful and full of things vs neutral). I remember a group I did with K-2 age kids, we used a colored rug as our “group space.” While that happened to be in a classroom, something like that could be useful to offer a clear idea of where the content is happening and to draw attention, while avoiding the extra stimulation of brightly colored things on the walls and in the room.

I imagine that keeping it more simple, still offering choices while keeping a smaller variety of instrument types, could help to avoid overstimulation. Like Amy said, in SM2 timbres can be expanded and more varied, though I would avoid “too much, too soon” and gradually introduce new sounds and instruments.

[Brandy Jenkins]

**Late Entry as I am Catching Up on Posting**

It depends on the child. I think the child will let you know and it is up to us to pay attention to those signs. Within a group, I may operate more at the stimulation level acceptable for the child with the lowest tolerance. That would be tricky because you want to provide the right stimulation for everyone.

[Sarah Gagnon]

Overstimulating:
Working in child’s home. I’m finding that working in homes, with varying ages and abilities, that just being at “home” is overstimulating and distracting since the kids all know where their toys are and what areas are allowed.

Each child and parent will show one way or another how stimulated that they are. Often if the parent is distracted or over/under stimulated, the child will be too…and vice versa. It’s important to discuss expectations of each session so that the parents can feel the structure of the group.

This is also a great way to assess and see where each family is as sometimes children with delays may show their over/under stimulation very clearly in some groups.

[Author]

Posts