Our autistic son is transformed & calmed when listening to classical music. Have others noticed this too?

Answer 1

I work at a Development school for children between the ages of 6-21 yrs old.... and i am a 1-1 ( one that is basically a shadow to a child in need of constant attention) in this school. I was hired to aid this 18 yr old autistic student.... he has the typical none verbal responses.... and he seems to have constant spitting and shrt attention spans...... but i agree with the classical music theory!! this is info i found and that might answer your question(it answered mine)...In his recognised work Awakenings, Sachs (1987) discussed the influence of music on patients with neurological impairments. Studies are currently underway to investigate the reasons for the effectiveness of music therapy with autism and the cerebral mechanisms involved in the brain's perception of music. In the past, music was believed to be primarily found in the right hemisphere. Exploration of different aspects of music (melody, rhythmic patterns, speech prosody, pitch and tonality) has revealed that right and left hemispheres are both active, but for different functions, and that music processing is a complex task that cannot be viewed in terms of simplistic right and left hemispheric strategies. The perception of music appears to require integrated hemispheric functioning with subcortical involvement as well.

In a recent journal article (Music Therapy Perspectives 200, Vol. 18), Kathleen Wager, Music Therapist, cited that Thaut (1980) theorized that rhythm might be absorbed on a physiological level that bypasses the cognitive deficits of children with autism. Because music can simultaneously stimulate areas of the brain that control autonomic, affective, and cognitive processes, one might theorize that the effectiveness of music therapy with persons with autism may lie in the brain's attempt to function in an integrated manner to process the various aspects of music- melody, harmony and rhythm. She added that Costello (1996) and Sigmon (1996) both commented on the lack of longitudinal studies examining the epidemiology, communication, social, and emotional development of persons with autism. The music therapy literature lacks studies concerning the effects of long-term music therapy treatment on children or adults with autism. Music therapy applications have dealt successfully with several of the behaviours associated with autism and other neurological impairments. Some of the symptoms included in the American Psychological Association's (1994) definition of autism are: mutism, atypical language, need for sameness, rigid, stereotyped play with small objects, lack of imagination and playfulness, isolated areas of ability, and infancy or childhood onset. Musical activities such as singing, drumming and playing melodies have been reviewed in the literature as having had significant impact on the improvement of skills provided through a modality that utilises the strengths of the preferred learning style of clients with autism and children with pervasive developmental disorder.

Answer 2

I just saw the word "Autism" and am so excited to spread the word.
I have a client who has one 2 year old, and possibly an autistic 10 month old. I was doing research for her regarding possible learning activities when I came across a few sites about "curing" many forms of autism.


http://www.autismdiet.com/begfaq.html
http://www.enzymestuff.com/offdiet.htm

Answer 3

Music can be beneficial for anyone. Although it can be used therapeutically for people who have physical, emotional, social, or cognitive deficits, even those who are healthy can use music to relax, reduce stress, improve mood, or to accompany exercise. There are no potentially harmful or toxic effects. Music therapists help their patients achieve a number of goals through music, including improvement of communication, academic strengths, attention span, and motor skills. They may also assist with behavioral therapy and pain management.

Answer 4

easily is soothing. i've got been suggested with classical track and my mom and dad like it too! i hit upon Mozart too uninteresting and straightforward yet Beethoven has that intensity and keenness i assume. I additionally produce different universal composers which includes Dvorak, Chopin, Liszt, Faure, Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff... don't be embarrassed!