SEN Poster by Drums for Schools

SEN Music Making Guidel ines, Pl ay Suggest ions and Key Areas of SEN our resources may address The instruments can be used to facilitate, explore and benefit in the four main areas of SEND as outlined below. Inst rument Rainst icks [20, 40, 60, 80,100 cms)

Sensory and/ or physical need Self -played: -

Gross motor skills required for ?twisting?from wrist Shoulder strength Stretching enhances muscular co-ordination Large arm muscle movements required

Social , emot ional and ment al heal t h -

Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: -

KenKeni dr um s - can stand on end or sideways or be held in a variety of positions.

Self -played: Tapping & Banging requiring -

Djem be dr um s - can be held, worn, stood upright, or even straddled whilst on the floor and played by hand or with a very soft beater. Bamboo djembes are lighter than wood but still pack a real boom-pop!

Practitioner holds and student ?activates?by pushing or touching one end Progressively stronger push or touch required Progressive stretching to reach out to affect instrument

Concentrated gross and fine motor skills, Grip exercise - hand-eye co-ordination - eye-teaming ? binocular vision - body positional control - effective postural self-management

Self -played: Can be helpful in challenging and exercising balance, proprioception, integrating multiple coordination, postural and positional self-management skills ? especially when wearing and walking/moving. As they are so robust they can handle a lot of interesting and eventful encounters! Can sit astride the larger drums when they are laid parallel to the floor, playing the head using different muscles than when seated or standing.

Listening Pleasant, sustaining sounds Sounds move from one place to another, enhancing auditory ?following' Show by picture or other visual cues helps self-esteem growth Can be used as a ?reward?instrument

?You play one end, I?ll play the other = rhythmic conversations; call and response activities and games? ? Explore ranges of emotional ?tones?? such as varying degrees of anger, frustration, assertion, celebration-joy, recognition of others? expressions, acknowledgement?

Sometimes there can be nothing better than everyone joining in a few very simple rhythms together. And it doesn?t matter whether you ?keep in time?or just hit it! Feeling part of the group empowers individual and community/group cohesion.

Playing this instrument up high, whilst looking through the skin to see the little beads scampering across the surface, can exercise the shoulder muscles in a different way than is usual. Also, the head is tipped backwards and eyes raised, requiring varying degrees of shoulder and arm exercise and control. Be aware to shorten the time span if played this way. Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Sit facing each other and ?steer ?the ocean drum like a car steering wheel. Swap leader/follower as you go along. Do the same action with a ?rowing?back and forth motion. Repeat with shaking, up and down motions.

Improve listening

Improve turn taking Observe how others play Praise and appreciation upon task achievement

Powerful essence of tribal communication reaches deep into the psyche. And drums are amazing fun. Over time, many students learn to listen and play with others in such a way that positively impacts their overall communication and interaction in other areas of life.

A simple communication between groups can occur when you have a group of djembes or mixed drums together. Beginning with very simple non-rhythmic beating of the drums ? one group plays, then another group plays in response. Have a conversation!

The point is simply to communicate.

Self -played: Requires a range of gross motor control skills from subtle side-to-side, forwards/backward, up/down twisting to vigorous shaking -increasing competence in motor control for dynamic playing including stop/start, soft/loud, fast/slow, getting louder, faster, softer, slower etc. Self -played:

Rainstick ?conversations?

Over time, these skills can be adapted to groups playing other types of instruments ? for example, have shaker group conversations, scraper group conversations, chime bar group conversations and so forth.

Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Helping with posture and mobility - supporting walking and forward movement whilst student continues playing.

Ocean dr um s - can be held, shaken, beaten, rolled, shuffled, looped onto ankle bracelets, swung from trees and gently whacked like a piñata?

Communicat ion and int eract ion

Follow the leader ? different students could have the opportunity to lead the conversations.

It can feel wonderfully liberating to be led and then become leader yourself in an activity. Feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence can arise from being acknowledged, trusted [by your follower] and liked [by your activity partner] through this activity. Knowing, liking and trusting are essential qualities which can help when presenting more challenging activities in the future.

The body can experience communication through different actions. Pulling, pushing, tugging, lifting, lowering, are all communicating something and we are always interpreting what these actions mean to us, then we adapt and interact in order to form our own communications either in response or as an initiatory act.

Cognit ion and l earning Gentle, fun and challenging muscle lengthening can help improve relaxation, attention, focus and engagement ? all key functions related to stress-free learning

Rhythmic ?conversation?can often result in wordplay and exploration of creativity. The balance and rhythmic challenges, alongside muscle strengthening and co-ordination, stimulate body-brain activity and a willingness to ?seek organisation? within simple musical structures / beats / frameworks.

Often, this can transfer into developing self-awareness by way of students determining preferences for certain types of rhythmic organization, songs, activities and so-on. Learning to express these preferences and celebrate small achievements [such as joining in and feeling good about it, as well as perhaps understanding where a beat drops out, pauses and comes back in ? for some] are pinnacle moments that add huge value to celebratory self-growth and skills learning. Begin in ?comfort zone?then gently challenge and ?stretch?by eg. playing different tempos [speeds] Begin with almost free play then add more structure over time. Helps to accept ordered rhythm, organization, pacing as a value.

Looking up through the skin of an ocean drum teaches simple light and shade perception and playfulness. Can help improve eye-teaming skills along with eye-ear integration.

Sensory and/ or physical need Self -played: Helps with grip and holding. Motion is generally towards the self, compared to away from or down with other drums, requiring different motor control skills.

Social , emot ional and ment al heal t h

Communicat ion and int eract ion

Coginit ion and l earning

Repetitive, gentle ?thuds?from the Shaman drum vibration that can be felt in the tummy or back area can help to give an emotional sense of stability and security, in a similar way that lullabies work.

The Shaman drum can be used in a similar way to a resonance board.

?Reading?signals via words and gestures helps with understanding spoken and body language.

You can place it on a wheelchair or on a resonant floor and play it [as indeed you can with any drum] .

Learn about where the drum comes from [the information is on the ?where it ?s from?cards in the box]

How does it feel to your body when you tap the drum gently and then when you beat it harder?

Look for the resulting responses. If the practitioner holds the drum against themselves, students can beat the drum and practitioner can give feedback, in word

Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Practitioner holds the drum, face outwards, into the back or solar plexus of the receiver. You can even take this all over different parts of the body [even above the head] but not too close to ears, then play with varying degrees of strength whilst the listener feels the vibration of the drum. If the body responds well to stimulus this can be a very moreish activity for some. Egg shaker s ? Held, shaken, rolled, massaged onto body?

Self -played: -

Strengthen grip Wrist twist and exercise Improve arm co-ordination Exercise joints Gentle, non-threatening 'shuffle' sounds Move up through the size range to challenge grip development.Can you roll it up and down your other arm without dropping it?

Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Shaking eggs around; the back of the head, from side to side, over the top, from front to back, closer and further away. Can help ease head turning which is crucial for developing listening and balance skills. Although the dominant ear will almost always lead, it is essential to exercise both sides as much as possible.

Egg on st ick swith a loop for holding or use with hand / foot bracelet or looped onto the specifically designed belts and tunics?

Self -played: No worries about dropping this.Turn it into a wearable and shake using different parts of your body. [see various wearables below] Encourages exercising of limbs. Can encourage reluctant dancers to join in, as with the other wearables in these SEN Music kits.

Learn about what Shaman drums are used for, how and why they are used in specific ceremonies.

and/or gesture ? this can help the student to temper their own playing [unless they want to give you a hard time by constantly playing hard and loud, of course].

Many songs afford the opportunity for everyone to join in all together with these simplest of instruments. The value here is that, even with everyone playing, the main song can still be easily heard! It's so satisfying to be part of a playing community,without feeling the pressure of having to 'stand out' or 'get it right.'. Over time, students can learn to shake in time or close enough. The softer shake, as opposed to a sharp attack the [striking of a drum or chime with a beater] is less precise so demands less focus in order to 'fall in' with the beat. This, in turn, can make it easier for very sensitive. children to feel good about participating and more likely to join in again. Soft on the ears. A lovely, safe entry level instrument.

Interact between 'same' size and 'little and large'. Have 'loud' and 'quiet ' talking with each other. Have 'Mrs Big' [student shaking the biggest egg] in the middle shaking her rhythm and lots of Mr Littles on the outside of a circle chipping in their own responses.

Gently encourages;

For students with grip and holding issues, the design of these shakers is ideal.

Maybe someone else will spot you're wearing some instruments and come over to play with you, the giant real-life instrument?

More opportunities to lengthen and control muscles; helping to encourage attention and focus.

Attention Participation Listening discrimination, particularly when playing games with ever-increasing/ decreasing size egg shakers.

Communicat ion and int eract ion

Self -played: Who says you have to use your hands when playing instruments? Shake, jump, twist, bounce, rock, roll and any other movements you feel like all whilst making terrific sounds. Is it possible to move from one part of the room to another without making a sound? How quiet can you make your movement? How noisy can you make your movement? Terrific fun especially for those who have mobility, grip and other motor control issues. Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Lie student on the floor, face up, with tunic covered in instruments, and play all of the instruments on the tunic. Student 'becomes' the instrument. The belt and the tunic can also facilitate torso twisting movements. The student can be twisted by practitioner before twisting themselves in order to help facilitate the movement. Helps with spinal flexibility and mobility.

Relief from the constant challenge of always having to use hands to do things. Opens lots of opportunities for other types of play using more of your body to make music and sound.

Enables a variety of opportunities for participation in activities, especially for those with mobility and limb co-ordination challenges. Encourages exploration of controlled gross body movement activities and action song games not simply focused on limbs.

More learning about "what can my body do when I wear these instruments?"

Kenar i, Pangi, Bent o, Agogo and Bells - St r ings Can be held or looped onto wearables such as our hand-made tunics and belts

Self -played: Wearable - play with one or both hands. Gently feed them onto drum heads from above to encourage slow, controlled gross motor movements. Encourage sound-making through a multitude of methods including wearables. Wear one sound on the front and a different sound on the back, can you [as the instrument stand] turn one way and then the other way whilst someone else plays them? Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Draw the sound-making strings over shoulders, legs, backs, feet? Extremely tactile when drawn over hands and fingers, front and back. Pull the strings between lightly-clasped fingers too.

Stringing them all together in a long snake and drawing them over everyone's laps who are seated in a circle, perhaps encouraging people to grip, hold, relax, let go and pass onwards (share) is a strong community experience. Tactile sensations can help people feel valued, relaxed, de-stressed, comfy, secure, centred

Draw around the circle in a kind of 'tugging' the anchor rope as if everyone is hauling anchor, all in it together, whilst singing,"what shall we do with the drunken sailor ".

Strings are relatively easy for everyone to make sounds with. We can learn that everyone seems to enjoy making the same sounds as me in this game. We can learn the value of doing and listening and observing all in the same activity.

Bent o, Pangi, Kenar i and Bells Shaker s Handheld or wearable shakers and jingle bells

Self -played: The loops again enable the opportunity to play a wider array of instruments if gripping is an issue. Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Having people ?play me, I?m the instrument ?can fulfill the desire for tactile stimulation and positive attention.

Satisfaction of widening the array / portfolio of ?instruments I can play.?

Students back to back play different selections of these instruments. The player plays, the responder responds with the same instrument, changing selections as we go.

The activity in this previous row is great for teaching listening, sound discrimination and dynamics [loud/soft, fast/slow, stop/start and so-on]

Lots of socializing activities can be enjoyed with jingle balls rolling games.

If used as part of a ?skittles?type game, students can encourage each other to do well and celebrate each time someone aims and succeeds at rolling the jingle ball onto the drum head, for example.

Understanding how to aim. Learning about weight and distance.

Inst rument

Sensory and/ or physical need

Belt , Bracelet and Tunics - you can wear your instruments on your wrists, ankles, around your waist, or even on your torso! Simple Velcro loop grips allow instruments to be attached to the wearer.

Jingle balls and Ball shaker s - for holding, rolling and shaking

Roll across a circle or from person to person. Roll them singly; roll two at a time, roll a whole bunch of them across the circle at the same time to enjoy the fun of ?missing?the other rolling jingle balls. Superb for hand-eye coordination

Coginit ion and l earning

Communicat ion and int eract ion

Tapping the end of the tube produces a playful ?Boing? sound Challenge muscular extension, range of motion, hand-eye coordination and gross and fine motor skills by extending the range and distance of the accompanying pad

'Silly sounds' help everyone to feel they can do it [make music sounds] and they don't have to be an expert to play it. Good for confidence, ice-breaker, conversation point.

Great for ?conversations,?call and response games, rhythm ?punctuation and emphasis,?or for simply being silly and having fun.

These instruments can be excellent for adding further dimensions in understanding what can constitute music. They help to reinforce the value of ?sound play?? exploring sound contexts and awareness outside of the norm and expected, developing curiosity and a desire to play.

Kenar i, Bent o and Pangi bracelet s More wonderful, stretchable wearables

Opportunities to control eye foot co-ordination! Using all limbs to create sound and even rhythms [for more advanced challenges] Can you shake your foot in the rhythm pause? Can you shake both feet in the pause? Can you shake one foot in one pause and the other foot in the other pause? Wearable instruments create limitless opportunities for fun, participation AND add massive value to motor control experiences.

Do call and response with feet only, one foot only, one foot and one hand? Involving all body extremities in making sound and music is challenging, satisfying, surprising and fulfilling.

If mobility is limited to specific limbs, you can still participate, these wearables are a great way in to music making and sound-play.

Inspires activity and action in larger leg muscles when worn on ankles. This type of muscular activity, particularly lengthening, can help relieve learning stress by aiding loosening of the muscles related to the 'fight or flight ?stress mechanism.

Chim e bar s - High pitched notes to engage, improve listening and gentle play

Hand-eye co-ordination. Particularly impacting on fine motor control

Pleasant high tone can help with reflective and even meditative experiences that produce sustaining tones.

Useful for signaling specific changes in music pieces, highlighting, or signifying calm and stabilize. beginnings and ends of events.

Students listening for the high tone are often able to improve concentration. Be sure to encourage smooth breathing whilst in enhanced listening status.

Can encourage deeper awareness of nature / environment when hung outside and played by the wind. Perhaps create your own ?wind?by flapping large piece of card to stimulate movement, or pass chimes in front of stable electric fans.

Understanding of stimulation and movement through non direct [physical] contact eg. ?It ?s the wind / air that plays it.?

Lovely ?climactic?appeal for music pieces.

Learning to express a wider range of emotions in a way that can also prove constructive. Eg. A ?tantrum? can become an explosive introduction/intervention in a rhythmic piece of music or a cue to ?play as if all of the animals were running really fast.?

Inst rument ?Boing-Boing?- Bamboo Buzzers ? Just tap and boing ? crazy, fun sounds ? beautifully tactile with a similar though lighter feel to rainsticks

Mini wind chim e - Can be held, hung, shaken, tapped, windblown; relaxingly meltworthy. Enchanting, light, tinkling tones to be stroked and gently stirred

Ceng Ceng - Eastern cymbal-type tone, can be held, tapped, clanged, rubbed together?

Sensory and/ or physical need -

Tapping and stroking motions challenging fine motor skills If you?re lying down and someone holds it over your feet, can you play it with your toes?

Time to get loud and clanging! Eye-teaming and hand-eye coordination benefit from playing these cymbals. Must be played in an environment away from sound hypersensitive listeners. The turtle is great fun, enabling, alongside drums, expressions of frustration, anger to be quickly transformed. Improve grip and up/down hand/arm movement.

Calming Gentle Stabilising Reflective Soft Enchanting

Safe expression of anger, frustration and other passionate emotions can provide an effective emotional health benefit. In turn, greater comfort with emotions can lead to clearer, unobstructed thinking and functioning

Happily sits on wheelchair table or even in lap without too much discomfort.

Coginit ion and l earning

Sensory and/ or physical need -

Great for breath control, diaphragm exercise Gentle ear stimulation Soft tones help to relax and calm

Social , emot ional and ment al heal t h

Communicat ion and int eract ion

Imagine being ?owls?and ?cuckoos?sitting in a tree, chatting; encourages softer, gentle and considered playing and listening.

Everyone plays their part in the ?Sound-scape?outlined in the previous column. Initiating, listening, responding.

Broadening listening and playing skills.

-The natural sound of the bamboo soothes and calms whilst the movable keys encourage children to explore and learn for themselves. Share parts helps develop a bond with each other.

Designed for collective play, the Bambajam helps create a sense of achievement, joy and satisfaction from creating music with each other. Children build confidence in musical conversations with each other whilst active listening helps develop children's awareness of their own importance within the group.

Inclusive, inquisitive and expressive play helps children explore music in a gamified way. Each feature is designed to encourage learning reflective of the children's age and ability.

?Join in?with music in iTunes and Spotify using automatic key detection for age appropriate activities

Skoog improvisations using preset pentatonic scales . Improves listening, turn taking attention and social communication skills.

Free playing and automatic key detection features support stress-free learning Truly multisensory learning; sound, colour, haptic and spatial learning

Perfect for Improvised musical play

Share and interact with music in iTunes and Spotify facilitates sequencing and turn taking with non verbal students.

Coginit ion and l earning

Perhaps an old steam train flashes past and disturbs all the life in the hedgerow; in comes ceng ceng turtle to illustrate the disturbance. Then all returns to the previous calm chatting.

Bam bajam Pelangi - played either as xylophone or each key van be removed and played as single instrument.

Self -played: -Easy to hold and play -Develops eye-hand coordination, dexterity and control -Movable keys for explorative play -Coloured keys with animal designs help children identify with each note -Library of music packs, backing track, flashcards and more -Ergonomic keys and mallets with shorter and wider handles Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: Using the unique double-sided frame, students sit opposite each other and play music together. This creates a bond as they communicate through the instruments as well as the music. As single pitched instruments, groups play together in an ensemble format, helping to develop a sense of focus and curiosity.

Skoog - an accessible, inclusive, creative and fun tool for supporting all kinds of music making activities in SEN. It can be used on a table top, free standing or mounted using a suction mount / clamp.

Self -played: Adjustable sensitivity and response to suit gross and fine motor skills. The tactile squeezy interface supports a wide range of interaction styles Multi-sensory; acoustic, tactile and colour (via the app) Can be played with different body parts; hands, feet, knees, elbow, head? Effective technology for students who are tactile defensive

Free playing, expression and exploration Different instrument sounds to express different moods and emotions.

Improve participation Develop sequencing and matching Develop listening and turn taking skills Compose and create your own music

Pract it ioner -f acilit at ed play: -

Ideal for hand over hand learning Sensitivity can be adjusted progressively Imitate and elaborate, practitioner leads and students follow

NB: This content is neither definitive, prescriptive, or exhaustive. Please feel free to add to or comment on any of these guidelines and suggestions and help us to share and improve best practice.

Broad areas of need Sensory and/ or physical need 6.34 Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/ or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health (see the References section under Chapter 6 for a link). 6.35 Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

Communicat ion and int eract ion 6.32 Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder. 6.33 Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils. The Department for Education publishes guidance on managing pupils?mental health and behaviour difficulties in schools ? see the References section under Chapter 6 for a link.

Social , emot ional and ment al heal t h 6.28 Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. 6.29 Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger?s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Coginit ion and l earning 6.30 Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where 98 children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. 6.31 Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Source: UK Govt . SEND Code of Pract ice Jan 2015