The Arts and Children with Autism

How is my child when it comes to the arts?

My child has never had an interest in playing a musical instrument.

However, he likes music.

His interest in listening to music has been hit or miss. 

It came back during a driving trip last summer. .

Why are musical instruments sometimes hard for our kids?

In the book, “Ido in Autismland,“ written by a non-verbal teenager with autism, the author believes many autistic children have a difficult time communicating from their brains to their hands or limbs. He says there is “a disconnect” in what their thoughts are telling their hands to do, and an awkward response with the actual doing.

However, some children with autism are naturally gifted in the arts. Just like any typical kid, I suppose.

The author of the book continued to discuss autism and the arts. “I did not tell my hands to reach out like that, but they did it anyway. At other times, I asked my hand to do something, and it didnʼt listen.”

How do children with autism learn how to a musical instrument?

What if they struggle to communicate their desires?

On top of that, there’s this disconnect. There’s often a coordination problem.

It doesn’t have to be hard.

As with typical children, many children on the autism spectrum are simply born with certain abilities. They are both to play music, draw, paint, or sing.

What about working hard to gain a talent?

There is another way that our kids can learn to be artists or athletes, they can practice and practice and practice.

A determined child—our kids are some of the most determined kids out there—can accomplish anything.

For example, my son can finally throw and catch a baseball—at age twelve. He still looks a bit awkward, but he can finally do it.

My skills

Athletic skills came naturally to me. By age three, I was already coordinated in many ways.

However, my child with autism still struggles with strength and the knowledge of a game.

He has trouble with hand/eye coordination so much so that the skill of catching a baseball was delayed.

He wanted to learn

But, he wanted to do it (And, his baseball-loving Daddy also wouldnʼt give up on him.)

Even though Iʼm somewhat naturally gifted in athletics, I still understood the need for practice.

I have preached this to my son. You have to practice again and again and again—for years.

What about the arts?

The arts are attractive to our kids.

I know an autistic teenager who is a wonderful artist. (She did my book cover!). Itʼs not only what she wants to do with her life, but painting/drawing/working in that visual medium gives her a sense of peace and calming order.

She was literally drawn to it.

Music draws people to it.

Even though some autistic kids struggle with an overload of sound, others are soothed by particular sounds. The sound of a cello, a violin, or a piano.

Something like learning and playing music also allows a certain level of concentration to develop. I think this can only be a good thing. Our kids are drawn to focusing only on one thing at a time. So, music might be a perfect fit, especially for a naturally gifted child.

Music used in the autism world

There are some interventions that use music as a tool to help our kids learn the skills that they lack. My son wasnʼt drawn to music or art, but

I know that specific intervention works well for many people with autism.

Have we ever tried music?

Of course, as I mentioned above, he likes music. 

One time I won a free piano lesson on an online auction. I did bid on it so that I could take my son to the lesson and see if playing the piano “spoke” to him.

He said he liked it, but not enough to pursue it further.

Playing a musical instrument

Still, learning to play any musical instrument is about practice, repetition, and patience. If your child expresses an interest, I hope you try it.

You never know what discovery you could make if you tried something like art, music, or writing. The Arts and Children with Autism.

Here is an extensive article about the influence of music and children with autism:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronna-kaplan-ma/music-therapy-autism_b_2007561.html

 

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