Use of tambourine as a music therapy tool can work well with differently abled children

Tambourine or dafali - a percussion musical instrument with an optional drum head - consists of wooden, metallic or plastic frame with pairs of jingles called 'zills'.

Children with special needs often have motor skills, coordination skills and communication skills difficulties and simple musical instruments and mini songs can be used to mitigate difficulties.

The wording, musical beat and movements are to needed to be converted into a therapeutic intervention after the diagnosed needs of the child.

To begin with, some of the things that can be done could be as follows.

• Study the child's vocal and movement patterns to create the rhythm that is similar to the child’s current vocal and movement patterns to make him or her accepted and accommodated

• Work on the child by stopping the activity and give her a few moments of silence to regain composure

• Initially match to or mirror the child's pattern by chanting and creating rhythmic music to get related to

• Slowly introduce a new activity to move on with in-the-moment improvisations and adaptations

• In the end, become a musical mirror for the child to perceive and follow you through progressively designed interventions.

In short, a therapist first accepts the behvioural pattern and emotional state of child instead of forcing new pattern by copying someone's composition

In other words, use music to communicate and process their frustrations. Therapist can mirror the current gestures, voice and rhythm of the child on tambourine.

This is one of the many music therapy clinic techniques to help the child with special needs.

It has also been seen that for rhythmic movement therapy, tambourine playing helps emotionally disturbed adults also as shown in the collage.