American band Blondie drummer Clem Burke on Wednesday called for drums to be introduced into the UK school curriculum to help children with autism.
According to a study conducted as part of the Clem Burke Drumming Project, children with autism who learn to play the drums have better control over their emotions and show fewer signs of hyperactivity, inattention and repetitive behaviors.
“This study is the first of its kind to show how the brain responds to percussion and how it can help children with autism and other social and emotional difficulties,” Clem Burke told the Royal Society at the occasion of the Summer science exhibition in London.
“Given the pressure that schools are currently facing to cope with the sharp increase in the number of children with social and emotional problems and learning difficulties, adding short drumming sessions to the school curriculum could change the gives at a lower cost and with minimal effort,” the drummer added.
UK schools have more than 166,000 children with autism, a figure up 8% since 2020, according to the Department for Education.
About 70% are educated in mainstream schools, but a report by the National Autistic Society recently showed that for three-quarters of parents, school does not fully meet the needs of these children.
As part of the study highlighted by Clem Burke, published last year in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, two 45-minute drum lessons were given each week for two months to young people aged 16 at 20 years.
The results showed that those who progressed in mastering the drums saw their condition improve. MRI scans revealed changes in brain function.
According to the study’s findings, “Drumming practice not only reduces hyperactivity and inattention in adolescents with autism, but also enhances functional connectivity in brain regions responsible for controlling inhibition and monitoring the results of the action”.
The Clem Burke Drumming Project, which explores the benefits of drumming on physical and mental health, was created in 2008 by the drummer and two researchers from British universities.
