Autism and Music Therapy: Ideas and Theories of a Parent

There are many, many theories on the use of Music Therapy for children with Autism. And while my own son has never actually received Music Therapy officially, music has provided him with comfort and stability during his 12 years of life so far.

When he was just 18 months old, Matt could not walk, but he could bop to music. Incidentally, it was Janet Jackson's Design of a Decade that he started out with. After that, he expanded into Barney, Teletubbies, Sesame Street, Disney, 80's music, Classical Music, Motown, and eventually worked his way up to more current artists like Clay Aiken, Phil Collins, Elton John and Evanescence. He also enjoys Enya and Yanni. The key to using music as therapy for a child with Autism is the type of music. That is my theory anyways.

I have found, through experience, that the calmer the style of music, the calmer the child is. This is especially important with children on the Autism Spectrum. Oftentimes, children with Autism have problems with aggression and are prone to fits of violence. This is not the case with everyone, but to be on the safe side, it is best to ere on the side of caution and keep them away from the more "violent" types of music like Rap or Hip Hop. I have nothing against the genre in particular, but I don't feel it's appropriate for children with Autism to listen to music with questionable lyrics that talk about violence or other things of an inappropriate nature.

It is imperative that children with Autism be exposed to music early on if they are able to handle the stimulation. Some children with Autism can not tolerate music. For those that can however, starting early is the key. Often times, a soft Concerto or Meditation music is a good place to start, especially with toddlers. I used to help Matt go to sleep by playing music that was nothing more than the sounds of the Ocean. It worked. He couldn't go to sleep without it.

As he grew older, he did not need it, but even now, he is using a walkman with a CD of Evanescence in it, to keep himself calm when he needs help. He has told me as much. The school he attends also uses a sort of Music Therapy with him, allowing him to play a keyboard they have at the school. They also encourage him to go into the lower grade classrooms to sing to the younger children. It has worked wonders for both his self-esteem and his social skills, too. As a matter of fact, this year was the second year he sang in the school talent show.

The most interesting thing about this is that he was able to teach himself how to play the keyboard solely based on the music he's heard. He taught himself more than a dozen Christmas Carols and two Star Trek themes songs. All by just listening to the music. He had no sheet music at the beginning. And when I did buy him the Big Notes Sheet Music, the notes he was playing were identical to the sheet music. And I know that he's not the only Autistic Child to have this gift. It's very inspirational to see that, despite his Autism, he's got a definite gift. One that makes him very happy.

And it all started with music. So, if you have a toddler, or even an older child, see what music can do for them. It will be one of the best things you'll ever do to help make their Autism easier to deal with.

One last note. For most kids, Disney is a staple in every household. Try showing them Fantasia or Fantasia 2000..it will introduce them to classical music composers like George Gershwin and Beethoven. And that's not a bad place to start.

At least that's my theory. I hope that this provides assistance to other parents with children on the Autism Spectrum.