Music Therapy utilizes Strengths
Many families who seek music therapy have already noticed that music is an innate strength for their children. I have MANY clients who love music above all other activities. Some may have perfect pitch or be able to pick out simple melodies by ear.
Music Therapy helps with Communication
For those who may be non-verbal, music experiences provide a means of self-expression that does not require using words.
Music Therapy can address Motor, Cognitive, and Social Skills
Is your child working on learning letters, numbers, or colors? Does your child need to improve gross or fine motor skills? Is social interaction difficult for your child?
Music Therapy Is Not Treatment Specific
There are many treatment options available for families who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As previously mentioned, music strategies are flexible and adaptive! "
Another article published in Autism Connect -
lists 4 main benefits of using music therapy with autistic clients.
First, "Music Therapy for Autism can indeed be a soothing and the best form of treatment. This is simply because stress-relieving music can stimulate both the hemispheres of the brain. This supports the mental, emotional, and cognitive development of the neuro-center."
The second benefit is, that "When kids with autism join a music class or a band playing session, they respond to the sounds created by every musical instrument. They pass and share instruments with other members of the team. They learn to listen to music, and this can improve their hearing capacity and also reduce sensitivity to hearing. They are made to sing connotations. This can improve their vocal cords and subsequently help them communicate better. This is how music therapy stimulates multiple activities inside the brain and this is especially true for kids with autism."
The third described benefit is, "Restlessness, aggression and throwing tantrums quite often are major signs visible amongst kids with autism. Music helps remove various mental blocks. Stress and anxiety levels are reduced. Kids pay more attention to listening to the music or the band that is being played. Aggressive behavior also comes down drastically among kids with autism.
You can find an overall behavioral change if you enroll your child in a piano or keyboard playing session or by joining the choir singing group."
The final benefit the article gives is, that "It is fun and engaging for kids with autism to listen to the music and learn the chords. As the same music is played in a repetitive as well as in a prolonged manner, these sessions bring about significant changes in social behavior and overall cognitive ability.
The last article I will refer to is from
Very Well Health online magazine.
First, it tells us what music therapy is:
"Music therapy is a well-established and risk-free technique for using musical interaction to help individuals with a wide range of cognitive and emotional challenges to improve their ability to function. By interacting with adults and children on the autism spectrum, musical therapists can build skills, lower anxiety, and even develop new communication skills. It's important to note that music therapy is not the same as musical instruction. If you aim to have your child build vocal or instrumental skills, you'll need to find an instructor instead of or in addition to a music therapist."
The article goes on to explain why music therapy might be a good choice for those seeking help for autistic family members.
"Music therapy may help people with autism to improve skills in areas such as communication, social skills, sensory issues, behavior, cognition, perceptual/motor skills, and self-reliance or self-determination.1 The therapist finds music experiences that strike a chord with a particular person, making personal connections and building trust. Family-centered music therapy can build stronger parent-child bonds."
As I watched Koti Lee, the blind autistic young man sing his heart out, I was thoroughly convinced that music had been an extremely effective therapy that allowed him to express himself and reach out to the audience and give them a special gift in his own very special way. At that moment, he was not autistic to the cheering crowd. He was Kodi Lee, the entertainer, and what a show!