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Picture exchange communication system (PECS), rehearsal routines, and movements may be useful tools for music teachers who teach children with autism.
This article presents an overview of symptoms of autism disorder to teach music teachers about autism . The main point of the article is to offer suggestions to music teachers who work with people with autism. The authors suggest that repetition and setting routines for the music classroom that may be helpful to the children with autism.
A behavioral and communication test called “SCERTS” may help music therapists set therapy goals for people with autism.
Music therapists can use a behavioral assessment tool (or test) called Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support (SCERTS). SCERTS helps music therapists learn the strengths and weaknesses of people with autism. Knowing what skills people need help with can guide the design of a therapy program. SCERTS is helpful for testing communication, emotional, and behavioral skills that might be helped with music therapy. SCERTS can also be helpful for measuring progress during therapy.
Some children with autism may enjoy and respond well to music therapy.
The researchers compared responses of 10 children with autism during music therapy and during toy play therapy. These children were more joyful and more engaged during music therapy than during play therapy. There were also more positive responses to the therapist during music therapy than during play therapy. The authors think that music therapy may be very helpful for the social, emotional, and motivational development of children with autism.
Participation in recreational activities such as playing, sports, and crafts may be very helpful for children with autism.
Recreational activities include playing, sports, relaxation, playing music, theater, and travelling. These activities can help a variety of social, motor, and cognitive skills. They can also relieve stress in people and families. Recreational activities are thought to be important for the well-being of all people. Often people with autism are not able to do recreational activities. The authors said that children, families, and therapists can work together to start or find recreational activities for people with autism. This process of working together in planning is called collaborative teaming. The recreation plan for children with autism often requires several action steps, working toward maximum participation. The plan may also be part of the individualized education plan (IEP) at school. The authors said that, with some planning and adaptations, people with autism can participate in a wide range of recreational activities.
Researchers who spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science are confirming that music and language are linked in the brain. They believe this overlap may mean that music therapy could help victims of stroke improve their speech. They think the music-speech link may also help children with autism or developmental dyslexia. Gottfried Schlaug, of Harvard Medical School, said, “Music making is a multisensory experience, activating links to several parts of the brain.” He reported on a patient who learned to sing “I am thirsty”, but couldn’t speak the same words. Another scientist talked about the “musical patterns” people use when they talk to babies, and that perhaps music works on the brain earlier than speech.
Read original article: Research Finds Brain Link for Words, Music Ability
The Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center (OCCTAC) is committed to bringing the arts to the children of Orange County with autism and other developmental disorders. Along with music, art, and expressive arts therapies, OCCTAC serves as a “catalyst for expanded quality services and by developing new programs to fill identified gaps in the community....” OCCTAC also strives to use the arts therapies to help children develop skills other than art, such as social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
Read original article: OCCTAC Has a Therapeutic Arts Program Helping Families of Children with Disabilities
Marcel Green, a Michigan high-school student with autism, joined the football team initially to get exercise and lose weight. He now plays both offense and defense on the Detroit Crockett High School football team. Green comes from a football-playing family, but admits that he spends a good deal of time on the sidelines. His teammates appreciate how hard he works during the season, at practice, and when he does take to the field. Football, along with his music skills, have given Green a sense of community and self-esteem. He receives support from his family and his peers and has every expectation of starting college in the fall with his teammates.
Yolanda Vitulli, of New York City, created Tender Care Human Services (TCHS) to bring music and art to her son and other children with autism. When Vitulli realized that her son responded to music in a social and verbal way, she decided to help other children in the community. Now TCHS offers many autism interventions including in-home respite services, therapy resources, behavior modification, and family education and training. TCHS helps families receive help through the Medicaid Service Coordination program.
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Music dance
Mar 8, 2010 by john-smithI have good news for you, Richie and others, inquiring about the use of dance/movement therapy with autistic individuals. I am a dance therapist in Austin TX and there is plenty of valuable use of dance, movement and rhythm for individuals with autism. The concepts are that a person is not merely his/her brain; obviously we are connected through mind, body, and spirit. Therefore if a person can connect with another through movement, then behavioral and cognitive change can result if the neurological patterns are stimulated through dance and movement. Of course, dance is a form of self-expression and release, as well. Engaging in dance and movement can help in that manner, whether it is dancing with the therapist or creating a form of self-expression and having the therapist guide the movement patterns into another shape, rhythm, or form to encourage a different behavior or thought process. Btw It's really nice to discuss with you. I am happy but now I am collecting the php for my friends and other persons. Because I my aim to provide best and knowledgeable material. And I hope you will also like and help me to continue this
Free Sound Therapy Home Programme
Jan 21, 2010 by AnonymousDr. Alfred Tomatis, a French otolaryngologist, is recognised as the modern day originator of sound or music therapy. In the early 1950's he developed an effective therapy method using altered music to treat conditions such as auditory processing disorder, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and autism. Another French doctor, Dr. Guy Bérard, developed a similar method, Auditory Integration Training (AIT), which has found many followers in the USA. From personal experience I know that many clients report improvements in understanding, speech, balance, behaviour and emotional well-being after just two or three weeks of daily sound therapy.
Sensory Activation Solutions (SAS) is an organisation with Centres in the U.K. and Turkey that provides a unique service for children and adults that face learning or developmental difficulties. When the established educational, psychological or medical services fail to provide adequate support, the SAS methodology often can provide practical solutions that result in noticeable improvements in daily life.
You may be interested to check out their Free Sound Therapy Home Programme. Their Auditory Activation Method builds on the pioneering work of Dr. Tomatis and Dr. Bérard and has been specifically developed with the aim to improve sensory processing, interhemispheric integration and cognitive functioning. It has helped many children and adults with a wide range of difficulties, ranging from dyslexia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to sensory processing disorders and autism. It is not a cure or medical intervention, but a structured training programme that can help alleviate some of the debilitating effects that these conditions can have on speech and physical ability, daily behaviour, emotional well-being and educational or work performance.
There is no catch, it's absolutely free and most importantly often effective. Check it out at: http://www.sascentre.com/uk/uk_free.html.
Movement Therapy
Aug 10, 2009 by AnonymousAutism Movement Therapy, Inc. is a nonprofit organization focused on serving the autism community by supporting autism research Dr Martha Herbert PhD, TRANSCEND RESEARCH PROGRAM - Mass General Hospital for Children) & environmental organizations The Natural Resources Defense Council & the Environmental Defense Action Fund helping to "clean/green" our planet.
Because Autism is ALL our Responsibility!
AMT is an autism intervention incorporating movement and music in collaboration with Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies to assist individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in meeting and achieving their speech and language, social and academic IEP goals.
Here is an article that appeared in Autism Aspergers Digest about AMT.
You can order the aut-erobics DVD!
Joanne Lara, MA is the founder.
Blog from 35,000 feet
Aug 7, 2009 by AnonymousSo here we are, already above the clouds on our way to Orlando for our super-fabulous vacation! Finally, no more sleeps until we go! Jonathan and my mother-in-law are sleeping, I’m writing, Thomas is looking at the pictures that Jonathan drew for him and Hayley is probably annoying the hell out of the person in the seat in front of her. I have a hard time sleeping on airplanes because they make me nervous, so I thought I’d write.
The past few weeks with Thomas have been very difficult. He’s been hyperactive and difficult to deal with; the noises he’s been making have been driving us all nuts. He hums the theme music to “Indiana Jones” very loudly (we’re hoping to make it to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular later today) and this kind of thing makes us quite crazy. Even Hayley has been bothered by it, which is a new thing.
Jonathan and I think that Thomas’ new erratic behavior has a lot to do with the trip which, until right now, has been coming up. He’s been trying so hard to understand and deal with this Disney World thing that he’s been acting out in other undesirable ways. Only this morning was he able to admit that he was excited about going to the airport. Hopefully, once we get on the Mickey Bus, he’ll be able to tentatively admit that he’s excited about Disney World. We got in line this morning, very early at the International Terminal because for SOME REASON, the boarding passes I printed out didn’t work for just me at the skycap. We were ushered into the elite line for security which went very smoothly, luckily. Getting everybody put back together and re-shod after that can be a pain and as a complete surprise to me, the metal E-Z Combs I had in my hair contained enough metal to set off the detector.
Jonathan went to park in long-term parking and re-joined us at the gate like clockwork and the kids got antsy waiting to board the plane, but they’ve been pretty good so far. I’ve just been told that we’re over Indianapolis and we’ll be over Valdosta, Georgia in about an hour. So we still have about two hours to go.
Jonathan and I have been saying “This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!” like Chevy Chase in Vacation right before he goes skinny-dipping with Christie Brinkley. We still can’t believe we’re doing this! I’m up in the air right now and I can’t believe it. Now it’s in God’s hands, I guess.
Thomas has been showing more interest in some of the shows we’ll see in Disney World like the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, the Beauty and the Beast show and the Nemo show. Hopefully, his mood will only improve. Otherwise, we’re screwed. And I know that when I get home, I’ll need a vacation. This is Jonathan’s idea of a vacation: Go, go, go all day, fall into a deep and exhausted sleep at night, wake up the next day, repeat. I like beaches and Mai-Tais and a nice tawdry novel. Oh well. The kids had just better have fun, that’s all. They had better love this time and remember it for always. Now, and only recently, have I begun to understand the emotional and financial undertaking my parents went through when I was in eighth grade and they took my three sisters and me to Disney World. SIX ROUND-TRIP AIRFARES? Good God. Not to mention all of the six-day park hoppers. Hotel. Food. Yikes. So I understand now what that was all about.
I just hope that Thomas responds well to the whole thing. I hope Hayley stops whining. They fought at the airport just after we made it through security about who was going to hold my hand. I mean like, screechy, whiny fighting. Hooray. So what did I do? I bought them both a chocolate donut. And I had coffee with real cream and real sugar.
Hey, I’m on vacation!