Instrumental music is less distracting for some children and is more appropriate if you wish to incorporate visual and movement imagery with the movement. It is often easier to create custom-made tapes for a child or group of children than to find a commercial tape or record that is totally appropriate. Music should be conducive to health and growth. Despite its popularity with today's children and adolescents, rock music should be avoided during treatment sessions. This type of music can be used as an initial background for movement awareness or to provide a background for sensory integration activities that create the foundation for movement facilitation.
Folk music can be extremely effective.
Folk music should be selected that contains a sincere feeling tone and an underlying honesty and respect for children. This is often identified intuitively rather than through a logical sequential analysis of the song. Most traditional folk songs have withstood time and many generations of children and adults who have loved them and sung them. Many of these songs are already familiar to the adult who is working or playing with the child. Contemporary songs composed in a folk style are also appropriate.