Autism and Music

[HammondDave]

Pretty amazing demonstration on how some autistic people have amazing musical skills.

 

Click HERE

[George88]

Thanks for the link.

 

 

I would like to point out that anyone with a disability should be referred to as a person with a disability: "people with Austism", not disabled people: "Autistic people." This is a simple way of identifying their humanity first, not their disability.

 

I will step down from my soapbox box, thank you for allowing me to clarify.

 

[orangefunk]

Yeah really amazing! I recall this guy from years back... kinda strange seeing him play scales... is he using the standard 123 fingering? Seems like 121212... maybe my eyes can't keep up with it!

 

think there are a few others who exhibit the same kind of talent. What is sad though is that most autistic people cannot really function in anyway like this.

 

One of my friends here in Norway works with autistic children and she says its so difficult given the common perception they are all "savants". She is frequently hit in the face full force (not much fun from a 15 year old as you might imagine) and subject to other inappropriate behaviour. Some of these people just don't ever find that key which unlocks them...

 

 

 

 

 

[I-missRichardTee]

I watched one grow up.. sure enough, he had pianist skill, but was not able to function in the world. He now lives in a fully controlled environment for people with this disability.

[midinut]

There are people that are on the autism spectrum such as Aspergers Syndrome that if you met them you wouldn't think anything was wrong with them at all. Some can function at a high social level and even live independently. I'm just sayin'.

[Joe Muscara]

I sent this to a friend who has a young son with autism. She said as soon as Derek started playing, her son ran over to his toddler sized grand piano and started pressing down keys one at a time and calling out numbers (?!?!) She said, "I guess it's time for us to start thinking about investing in a real piano."

 

I suspected there would be a music connection for him as she is a singer in town, and a great one at that. From what I understand, she's a great one to work with.

[Moon Zero Two]

I posted the same link over at the piano forum. It was news to me as I has never heard of the guy but apparently he has been featured on 60 minutes a couple of times.

 

OT but David Mitchell of Cloud Atlas fame has a translation out of of a memoir called the reason I jump. Looks to be very interesting.

[HSS]

My son is seven years old and on the Autism spectrum. He was diagnosed at the age of three with High Functioning Autism (often now used by experts interchangeably with Asperger's Syndrome). He has always loved music, which was used during his "ABA" therapy a few years ago as a tool to help "break the ice" and connect him with the external world. He now talks incessantly and has a large vocabulary, but his social and emotional skills are very poorly developed. Despite the fact that we have numerous musical instruments all over the house and he plays on them frequently, unfortunately he has not made a "connection" with a specific instrument.

 

For the last several months my son has spent incredible amounts of time building elaborate optical arrangements projecting photos and videos from our Ipad onto our home's window panes using flashlights and mirrors. This most recent "obsession" has advanced to the point where he now orders my wife and I to go to the store buy specific kinds of flashlights and mirrors. When we do occasionally buy them and bring them home, he immediately checks to see if they meet his needs. If they don't, he gets angry and re-issues the "orders" with more specificity. Needless to say, it's getting out of hand and we are eagerly awaiting the fading of this obsession but dreading what comes next.

[Joe P]

For anyone interested, my guitar player gave me this book:

 

Musicophilia .

 

It is written by a neurologist and explores the interaction between music and the human brain.

[HammondDave]

My son is seven years old and on the Autism spectrum. He was diagnosed at the age of three with High Functioning Autism (often now used by experts interchangeably with Asperger's Syndrome). He has always loved music, which was used during his "ABA" therapy a few years ago as a tool to help "break the ice" and connect him with the external world. He now talks incessantly and has a large vocabulary, but his social and emotional skills are very poorly developed. Despite the fact that we have numerous musical instruments all over the house and he plays on them frequently, unfortunately he has not made a "connection" with a specific instrument.

 

For the last several months my son has spent incredible amounts of time building elaborate optical arrangements projecting photos and videos from our Ipad onto our home's window panes using flashlights and mirrors. This most recent "obsession" has advanced to the point where he now orders my wife and I to go to the store buy specific kinds of flashlights and mirrors. When we do occasionally buy them and bring them home, he immediately checks to see if they meet his needs. If they don't, he gets angry and re-issues the "orders" with more specificity. Needless to say, it's getting out of hand and we are eagerly awaiting the fading of this obsession but dreading what comes next.

 

One of my best friends has a severely autistic son. Its a challenge for the parents, but they are making progress. My best wishes to you and your family. Hang in there!

[HSS]

Thanks Dave... We are lucky that our son is High Functioning. My best wishes to your friend and his / her son.

[NewImprov]

I have a nephew who is high-functioning. He's very into numbers, and he loves classical Indian music, he will listen to ragas and count the Tal totally accurately. He loves going to classical Indian concerts as well. His dad just told me he's gotten way into the band Magma. This kid is 6 years old.