Let the Band Play On!

Charlie is four years old and I have been working with him for 15 months now. He is one of the children I see who was prenatally exposed to methamphetamine (and possibly alcohol).

This means that like many other children with prenatal exposure, he has some major challenges, including poor impulse control, aggressiveness, resistance to limits, problems understanding social cues, and difficulty tolerating frustration.

What this often looks like is Charlie pushing his younger brother over, kicking his sister, yelling at everyone around him (myself included), and throwing things at us before attempting to run out of the room and down the stairs.

Children use their senses to form emotional bonds with others. Together with his father, we've incorporated a number of ways to help Charlie "regulate," or soothe himself so that he can return to a calmer, more organized state and ultimately be able to relate appropriately to another person.

In addition to weekly occupational therapy sessions, where Charlie can roll, tumble, swing, jump, and so forth, we have incorporated music into our play, which also helps him to feel better.

This week, Charlie and his sister collected toy instruments including a drum, a horn, and an accordian from the cabinet in our play room and decided that they would form a band. Each family member was assigned an instrument, including dad on the tambourine.

Charlie led the band in playing various songs such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and directed everyone to join in and sing. The play at that moment was remarkably joyful and robust. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, a smiling Charlie included. And, he was able to stay focused, calm, and organized for a much longer period of time than is usual for him.

As he continued in this activity with his family during this particular session, it was plain that what Charlie was experiencing with them was a sense of competency, togetherness, and simple fun.

So let the band play on!

A Note: I play a lot of different CD's during sessions with Charlie. A new one that we are enjoying a lot is Dan Zanes and Friends' Spanish language "Nueva York!" For lots of singing and fun, please check it out -- my personal favorite on the CD is "Pollito," which is a great way for kids and grownups alike to learn some new Spanish words.