CHENNAI: Vihaan, a four-year-old, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) two years ago. Although unable to communicate verbally, Vihaan has been humming rhymes and songs since he was little. “When he was one, it seemed like he was starting to pick up some words, but by the time he turned two he stopped talking altogether. However, we noticed his interest in music
and enrolled him for music classes,” says Sunaina,
his mother.
Vihaan has been taking music lessons for the last two months and she adds that she has noticed a lot of changes in the child. “Earlier, he would find it hard to sit in one place for more than five minutes, but after starting music therapy, he is able to sit in the class and also at home for at least a good 45 minutes,” she smiles. They have also noticed changes like an improvement in Vihaan’s concentration and his ability to obey commands. Although in the form of blabbering, he has started imitating others' speech and attempts to communicate verbally. On the occasion of World Music Day, City Express probes the use of music as therapy for people with special needs.
Lakshmi Mohan is the founder of Soumanasya, an organisation that provides a platform for people with special needs to explore their talent in music. A music therapist, she has been taking music classes for people with autism and her class consists of students between the ages of four and 40.
Lakshmi says that most of her students cannot speak and so she is singing for them while they listen and enjoy. “Music really does have very many healing powers. I remember when a 4-year old-child was brought to me for training. He was a hyperactive child and who wouldn't settle down easily. But soon, he started to enjoy music and would spend a lot of time engrossed in it. Children grasp things so quickly,”
she says.
Lakshmi would know better than anyone. She has seen tremendous behavioural as well as emotional changes in her students over the course of training. “There have been instances where school teachers at school would notice changes in these kids and ask the parents the secret behind them.”
T Venkataraman, a music therapist at Swabhiman, a city-based trust working for the welfare of people with autism, says that he has taught children who initially never used to speak and now they have started singing. “I usually take one-hour long sessions with them, and I have seen the kind of energy and excitement these kids have on their faces. Some kids cannot sing at all, so then I give them the jalra (taal) to play. I want everybody to be involved in some way or the other,” he avers.
Talking about the changes he has seen in kids over the couple of years, Venkatraman says that earlier there were students who used to scream so loudly when they would hear the sound of the shruti box but now they are used to it. “They would not allow me to turn on the shruti box. I guess they did not like it. But now, things are different. The minute I turn on the tampura, they know it’s time for music class. They sit for the class with a huge smile while singing,” he says.
Mukund Rao (19) has been learning music for the last nine years. “Since the time he was two, we knew he was inclined towards music, as he used to listen to songs and hum along. Language was not a barrier for him,” says his mother Shalini. “He has always been a very restless kid, but he is calm when he listens to music. His taste in music varies depending on his mood – he listens to anything from melodies to dappankoothu,” she adds.
Mukund has also recorded a couple of songs and had released his first CD in 2014; the album titled Heaven Unplugged has 15 songs sung by him.
Methods to train
Music therapists prefer using their own voice as a medium to connect with the children, instead of using CDs or cassettes. Therapists ensure that each kid present in the class is involved. Some who can sing are encouraged to do so while those who cannot are made to play small instruments. Some kids are extremely hyper and restless — they are made to sit in the lotus pose for a while before the class starts.
Music helps improve
Cognitive functioning
Motor skills
Emotional
development
Social skills
Quality of life