Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if the Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention could improve behavior in children with developmental delays (DD). The original pilot study that this study on behavior is linked to is titled, “The Effects of a Drums Alive Kids Beats Intervention on the Physical Performance and Motor Skills of Children with Developmental Delays,” which was published in the December edition of the Open Journal of Pediatrics (OJPED, Vol.11 No.4 2021). During the facilitation of said intervention on physical and motor skills, the facilitators noticed unanticipated improvements in behavior, both individually and as a community through better awareness, self-control, self-efficacy, social interaction, and positive energy. Therefore, while maintaining the integrity of the MOT 4 - 6 testing protocols and Drums Alive intervention, a parallel study was conducted to objectively measure six behavioral domains, namely, motivation, impulse control, coordination, concentration, implementation of tasks, and creativity using a self-designed measurement tool with three elements for each domain that was approved by Dr. Heiner Lagenkamp, Department of Sports and Physical Activities, Teaching and Research, Ruhr University, Germany. The 20 participants were German students between 5.10 and 10.2 years of age with no inclusion or exclusion characteristics who were divided into two intervention groups, IG Kindergarten (IG Kinder) and IG Elementary (IG Elem), with varied DD, i.e., transgressive behavior, ADHD, ADD, autism, anger management, visual acuity, self-control, and self-esteem. During the MOT 4 - 6 study and Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention, the facilitators monitored and assessed each participant for pre- and post-performance vis a vis behavior concurrently with physical and motoric skills. As the original study provided statistically significant improvements of between 14% - 24% in physical and motor skill performance with regards to overall scoring and 7 subdivisions of tasks, the results of this parallel study on behavior, with its 6 domains and 18 elements of between 24% - 28%, were even more compelling. The evidence indicated that the Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention with its multidisciplinary approach of music, movement, and drumming, could be used as an effective tool and therapeutic approach to improve behavior in children with developmental delays.
Highlights
For this study, “developmental delay” was defined as slower to develop characterized by the way a child moves, communicates, thinks, learns, or behaves with others
A similar view was shared by Wright and Sugden, who stressed that a structured physical activity (PA) program is about physical training but should consider students’ cognitive, emotional, and social development; and, in the process of learning fundamental movements, games and sportive skills, the participants should learn about positive social behaviors such as taking turns, cooperation, and fair play
Participants used equipment consisting of an exercise stability ball and holder, drumsticks, and a musical CD labeled Drums Alive Kids Beats, vol 1. that had varying, cultural drumming patterns and time signatures that were integrated into the daily morning and/or afternoon PA class schedule of events and conducted twice a week for 45 - 60 minutes for one month
Summary
“developmental delay” was defined as slower to develop characterized by the way a child moves, communicates, thinks, learns, or behaves with others. Incorporating research-based cognitive challenges into a PA program through plasticity-based exercises can stimulate cortical processing and encourage a multi-sensory experience for a better transfer of information between the right and left hemispheres, called, “hemispheric convergence.” This improved processing can result in greater executive function and enhanced critical thinking, which is essential for learning, memory, and increased capability for following commands and directions, processing information, logic, reason, and social interaction [7]. Karl Bruhn, known as the “Father of the Music-Making and Wellness Movement,” said, “without the obstacle of a challenging learning curve, group drumming offers an enjoyable, accessible and fulfilling activity from the start for young and old alike.” He continues, “from exercise, nurturing and social support, to intellectual stimulation and stress reduction, group drumming ignites creative expression that unites our minds, bodies and spirits! Recent research, regarding drumming as exercise, has been made accessible over the past few years by classifying it as an aerobic and sometimes anaerobic activi-
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
