Hypotonia and learning the harp?

[Susan TN]

My 8yodd has hypotonia, which means she isn’t double jointed, but her fingers are very very bendy.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

In that case, it is a matter of positioning and strength.

[sherry-lenox]

As a speech therapist I always prefer to defer to a physical therapist or orthopedist to make the decision about safety and desirability, but from the standpoint of making beautiful music, it’s great for morale, listening skills, general finger/hand dexterity, problem solving, visual motor skill, social interaction and probably a lot more things I’ll think of after I post.

If she’s benefitting from piano, your PT or orthopedist may feel that harp would just add another helpful dimension.

If she likes the idea, let her school know what she’s doing so that she can participate more fully in discussions about hobbies and interests in school (sometimes 8 year olds get so wrapped up in conversations that they forget they have something good to contribute too).

Of course you’re going to want to make sure that what she’s doing isn’t physically or any other way stressful, but I’m sure you’d be doing that anyway.

Good luck with this wonderful activity!

[Karen Johns]

Well, my hands have

[Karen Johns]

Just did a quick search on this- I think I’m just merely double-jointed. But, I believe the very act of plucking the harp strings would be a form of physical therapy, and what a beautiful sounding reward! Of course, consult your pediatrician or a certified physical therapist about this, as I’m definitely not a qualified professional on this subject. I can say my hand strength overall has improved drastically by playing harp, and I imagine the results would be the same for others who play.

Karen

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