Over the years, we have looked into many types of therapies and treatments on this autism parenting journey. I hesitate to use the word treatment as it then brings the word “cure” along with it. So we’ll stick with therapy. We’ve tried the recommended in ABA therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. And I’ve looked into horse therapy and touch therapy. One that has worked amazingly for my daughter is music therapy. Music has always been one way to calm her down and pick her mood up. Those are just two two of the benefits of music therapy for autism that we have found in our experience.
One of the best things for Sweet B, aside from using PECS to create visual schedules, has been music therapy. That’s not to diminish the importance of speech therapy or occupational therapy; but music therapy has been incredibly beneficial for her. It’s helped her with transitions during the day, and most recently with her social skills. Those are just two of the amazing benefits of music therapy for autism.
The Benefits of Music Therapy for Autism
Music therapy, while not a relatively new treatment method for autism is one that should not be overlooked when discussing options. Individuals who receive music therapy often should great improvement in temperament and learning skills.
Music connects to the non-verbal part of our brains. This makes it a perfect therapy for disorders in which the individual has trouble communicating, such as autism.
Research this innovative treatment method if you are looking for some help with autism and haven’t had much luck in the past.
Music therapy is also effective because it can be used in conjunction with learning social skills. Music is a very non-threatening medium for individuals, and many games can be played using music to help improve social and behavioral skills.
By encouraging eye contact while singing or using instruments that need to get close to the face, music therapy can help autistic individuals break social barriers.
How Does Music Therapy Help Autism?
The number one way that music therapy can help children, as well as older autistic individuals, is by helping with the development of speech skills.
Music is a way to connect the verbal and non-verbal functions in the brain. Autistic individuals may have various forms of speech problems. Some can only hum, grunt, or make other non-word noises, while others babble nonsensical phrases or cries.
Still others gain the capability to put together phrases and sentences to communicate with the world, although these usually lack emotion.
Autistic people are known for monotone voices. However, no matter how skilled the individual is with speech, he or she can participate in musical therapy by clapping rhythms, humming along, or doing simple echoing songs.
Autistic individuals are commonly found to be particularly good at music. Some, for instance, have perfect pitch. Others can play a particular instrument very well, with little instruction.
Even if he or she shows no genius musical ability by normal standards, you may find that a particularly hard to deal with autistic person has abilities in music that exceed his or her other abilities. A music therapist can use music as a way to link this kind of learning with other kinds of learning, not only as speech development and social behavioral development as previously discussed, but also as a way to communicate emotions and develop memory.
By using all of these techniques in conjunction with one another, music therapy can work wonders with people who are autistic.
Where do I find music therapy near me?
Trained professionals can use music to teach children and others how to communicate in nonverbal ways, making it easier for individuals to learn. Research the music therapy option to provide you or your child with another choice when treating autism.
Ask your child’s school or your child’s school district.
Research local college programs.
Ask your local parent support groups to see if they have recommendations.
Music therapy has been incredibly beneficial for Sweet B. And while she no longer receives individual music therapy, she still receives group music therapy. This helps, as mentioned prior, with her social skills.
Welcome to Voices of Special Needs Blog Hop — a monthly gathering of posts from special needs bloggers hosted by The Sensory Spectrum and The Jenny Evolution. Click on the links below to read stories from other bloggers about having a special needs kiddo — from Sensory Processing Disorder to ADHD, from Autism to Dyslexia! Want to join in on next month’s Voices of Special Needs Hop? Click here!
Kori
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