The new school year is right around the corner!  Are you and your kids prepared for it?  If routine changes are hard for your kids, keep reading!

Whether you are excited or anxious for what the new school year might bring, kids all over will soon be packing their school bags and heading to their new classrooms.  Transitioning to the new school year is often difficult for kids, especially those on the autism spectrum or diagnosed with Down syndrome.  A new school year brings new teachers, new classmates, new routine, new expectations, new locker placement, new schedule, NEW, NEW, NEW.  Talk about a big transition!  Especially after summer break full of fun, freedom, and an entirely different routine!  

A skill that becomes essential for transitions such as this is FLEXIBILITY.  Flexibility is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced by people of all ages.  I’m sure you can relate along with me.  For example, maybe your schedule at work was changed recently and you’re struggling to adjust, or the grocery store changed their layout and you find yourself becoming frustrated when you can’t find the eggs.  Those on the autism spectrum or diagnosed with Down syndrome often have even more trouble learning and putting flexibility into practice.  Becoming proficient at this skill is greatly beneficial for coping with a new routine, like starting a new school year.  

If your child struggles with the transition back to school (or any other change in routine for that matter), music therapy may be beneficial.  Music therapy can help kids with autism, Down syndrome, and other exceptionalities learn about the importance of flexibility, how to identify coping skills, and how to practice flexibility in all areas of life.  One of the ways we, at Thrive Music Therapy, teach this skill is by teaching, singing, and co-writing a song we like to call, ‘The Flexibility Song’.  The song’s structure provides opportunities to customize lyrics by including specific situations and personal coping skills so that each individual is able to apply the song’s information in their life. Learning new information through music helps increase overall retention rate and causes kids have a higher probability of recalling their coping skills at a time of need when learning them through music.  Once the song is learned and practiced, music therapists can derive opportunities for each child to put their new flexibility skills into action.  Plenty of practice in a controlled, safe setting, such as a music therapy session, allows for continued learning that will often translate to every day situations where this skill is required.  Being flexible with a new routine isn’t always easy, but having a personalized song to play or sing at a time of need may help to you or your child appropriately cope with any heightened anxiety, anger, and/or frustration that may arise. Learning and practicing flexibility has now become a lot more FUN!

Check out one version of ‘The Flexibility Song’ we’ve used in music therapy treatment for a teen with autism below.  

Discover more about what we offer at Thrive Music Therapy on our ‘Services Offered’ page.  

If you’re interested in talking with our music therapist about whether music therapy services are a good fit for you or your child, call for a COMPLIMENTARY consultation.