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Musical therapy is a relatively new treatment method for autism patients, but one that should not be overlooked when discussing options. Patients who receive musical therapy often show great improvement in temperament and learning skills. Music connects to the non-verbal part of our brains, making it a perfect therapy for disorders in which the patient 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 with other methods.

Musical therapy is effective because it can be used in conjunction with learning social skills,  is non-threatening and many games can be played using music to help improve social and behavioral skills.

The number one way that musical therapy can help children, as well as older autistic patients, is by helping with the development of speech skills.  We were astounded to learn that our autistic son could play the piano by ear. It is a gift that just comes along with how he sees and hears the world around him.  Music is universal, so it is only natural that music would become another means of communication and speech, as well as social skills.   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.

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 musical therapist can use music 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, musical therapy can work wonders with people who are autistic. Trained professionals can use music to teach children and others how to communicate in nonverbal ways, making it easier for patients to learn. Research the musical therapy option to provide you or your child with another choice when treating autism.

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Mandu Usoro, US Army Veteran, Experienced Homeschooler, Parent Advocate and is the founder of Homeschool Special Needs Tidbits, a website/weblog about homeschooling, public school education,  special needs children, personal bookstore, and articles about educating special needs children and the tools needed for success.

6 Replies to “Music Therapy and Autism”

  1. Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this page to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  2. Great blog here! Also your website loads up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol

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