Can/Does your Spectrum Kid(s) Sing? | Autism PDD
In music therapy it is about the process of making music, not the quality. We use music to accomplish non-musical goals. Many kids do pick up some new talents as well and learn to play instruments. They are a lof social, communicative, receptive and fine motor skills worked on in MT as well as relaxation. Many ASD kiddos find the structure and organization of music comforting and it is a non-threatning manner to work on their goals. Which is why many might sing before they talk. Then, you move to generalizing the skill into other situations.Ty loves to sing with my wife and some special songs that I downloaded, Puff the Magic Dragon, and Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love. Go Figure. He likes when I sing along to M.C. Hammer's Addam's Groove and change it to Tyler's Groove. "He sleeps when he wants to sleep, eats what he wants to eat, plays where he wants to play, Has big fun everyday, Tyler, [Whoomp Whoomp]Tyler, [Whoomp Whoomp] Tyler, [Whoomp Whoomp] Tyler's Fam-i-lee. 
This started all of the way back to when he was an infant in his bouncy swing chair. He rocked out even then.
Oops. The link for the American Music Therapy Association is:
If you call them they can tell you what populations specific MT's work with when looking for one. Also, if they are working within a facility or Private Practice, etc.
Here's a link to the AMTA's fact sheet on MT with children with ASD.
http://www.musictherapy.org/factsheets/MT%20Autism%202006.pd f
Well, yippee. I did call the music therapy folks as you suggested and got them to pull a list for me (there's 18 in Louisiana!). She's emailing it as we speak.
By the way, for anyone else who may be looking, the CBMT search list showed up not a single therapist! The phone number for the music therapy association is: Phone: (301) 589-3300. Do go this route.
Flip, a big smackeroo to your forehead, my friend. Thank you!
I still retain singing ability even without conversational speech. (No, this doesn't mean I could "just sing conversations".)My dd loves, loves, loves to sing..she is really into the Kidz Bop CDs..unfortunately she has severe articulation problems and she doesn't know (can't hear) 60% of the words and she is horribly off key. Just imagine "It' just a little too Late" sung with 1/2 the words missing and wildly off key and that is pretty much my life. She also makes up songs all the time. Her made up songs are actually pretty funny.
My friend's son (12) is on the spectrum and he an aspie with area of obsession Disney. He knows ALL the disney songs and loves to sing them. He tends to sing in a falsetto too, but he is perfectly on tune and has a great singing voice.
Do you think maybe many of our kids take to singing so much because its a compensation for the parts of the brain that are wired funky, relative to speech?
My son can and does learn huge amounts through song - even his name, age, and phone number. Still looking for music therapy, as one of you is, too.
I am a music therapist--you are looking for one. You can try our professional organization (American Music Therapy Association) for referals. Another way to look for a Music Therapist is our Certification Board (CBMT). (I think it is cbmt.org) There is tool that will help you check credentials or locate MT's in your areal You would want someone with at least a MT-BC in their credentials.
Or, if you tell me where you are from I can try to locate some for you.
amta.org
Funny thing is I used to specialize in autism when I worked in the field many years before my son was born.
Wow! Thanks, Flip! We live in the New Orleans area, but I will go ahead and try those tips before asking you to start digging - very kind offer.
And how ironic about your past profession. Your son is a lucky fella, despite the spectrum.
PS. Just checked both sites and there's no body listed for Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, or Alabama...am wondering whether there's something wrong with the list? I did drop a note to CBM telling them where and what.
Both of my boys sing. My youngest actual sang before he talked much. Both love their school concerts each year.
Bug has "spring sing" at school today - so the girls and I are heading over to watch/participate...I asked his teacher if he sings at school, because he has never (not ever!) sung a song at home. She said he sings a little bit - there are a couple of songs he likes - but that sometimes he catches himself and stops
Do your kiddos sing?
My ds sings all the time at home, now at school not really, he will try but likes to sit and listen to everyone else sing, he is actually quite good at singing, sometimes we can't tell what he's singing but we know he is singing something
You give him a microphone and ds will entertain for hours, maybe he will be an entertainer when he gets older Yes...he LOVES to sing.
He sings songs from school or from CDs or wherever he gets them.
We had been playing a Laurie Berkner CD recently and sometimes when we are outside in the evening and he sees the moon he starts singing her "Moon" song.
"Moon, Moon, Moon, Shining Bright, Moon, Moon, Moon, My Night Light, Moon, Moon, Moon, I can See, Moon, Moon, Moon You're taking care of me. Look up it's the moon. Look up it's the moon. Look up it's the moon up in the sky. It's big and round and I have found that it looks just like a pizza pie."
I need to get this videotaped...it is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.
Yes, he loves to sing and memorizes most words to his songs. He has learned how to spell all his color words, days of the week, etc this way.
Cole did not used to sing at school, but did at home. He's sit there and listen at school, but that's it. They'd think he wasn't paying attention but he'd come home singing whatever it was they did that day. I'd write down the lyrics and send them in the next day just to show the teachers. Its like he couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time. Maybe Bug is listening and memorizing right now...you may not know for another year, but he could blow your doors off.
If your son likes movies, he might enjoy the soundtracks to Lion King, Shrek 1, Happy Feet, Knight's Tale, etc. Cole loves these sorts of songs...not too babyfied.
Mine started singing before she talked:)this is my son singing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnF8T9vUQDg
[QUOTE=mosesjr]this is my son singing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnF8T9vUQDg
[/QUOTE]
He did an awesome job!
He does but not very good. I does not like music class in school - I thinkit is too much confusing noise to him.Mine does. He loves Laurie Berkner songs, Wiggles and Ralph's World. He has also started singing many of the songs on his therapeuitc listening CD's. I think it's so cute. The words are all kind of slurred together and he leaves out some words, but he has started singing a lot during the day.
Anthony enjoys singing, too. Although, he sings a different moon song than BB. He sings "I see the moon the moon sees me. That's where my heart is longing to be. Please let the light that shines on me, shine on the one I love." My mom taught this to my kids and she sings it with them. He sings it whenever he sees the moon.
I love the Laurie Berkner DVD. My 13 year old niece and I drive my kids nuts because we put it on in the van when we're going to visit my folks and sing all the words. There are lots of groans in the van I wish my son did sing.. We were laying in bed the other day and i
started to sind the abc's and he put his hand over my mouth.. I caught
him a while back singing a song from school and i said very good
job and he completly had a meltdown..
I can't get my kid to STOP singing! Actually, I think it's adorable, even
if it is a stim.
Rissa is ALWAYS singing...lol
I hope he does great and sings for ya :)
I joke all the time with people saying Nicky is going to be a big star some day. He is always singing and rocking out in my car with me. I guess he doesn’t rock out in dw car, bc she saw him head banging in my car and said what are you letting him listen to. He also makes up his own songs which is awesome he even rhymes sometimes.
Both my sons have a little trouble singing as a group, for example during circle time.
My autistic son makes up his own songs occasionally. He sings both his own and other songs frequently, but his singing voice often sounds a little falsetto. He sang with his class at the Christmas breakfast, the only one rocking back and forth to the music but at least he was on stage (first time for being cooperative and without an aide).
Boy, DOES she! This one LOVES to memorize songs, and poems too!
Not only that, she seems like a natural actress (look out, Bollywood!) -- she swayed to the music, smiled appropriately, and overall PERFORMED, at the 15-song Kg musical, two wks ago.
I was impressed. And clearly, not inherited from either of US!
Now, if she could make eye contact more often ...
My son hasn't started singing yet. He likes when we sing though! Adam loves to sing, and actually has a very good voice.-- I will respond -- how may of YOU sing TO your ASD child?
I sang T to sleep a lot -- mostly Beatles medleys, haha. Now she makes me stop singing and tells me I CANNOT copy off the TV or whatever ... but she used to love it.
[QUOTE=foxl]-- I will respond -- how may of YOU sing TO your ASD child?
I sang T to sleep a lot -- mostly Beatles medleys, haha. Now she makes me stop singing and tells me I CANNOT copy off the TV or whatever ... but she used to love it.
[/QUOTE]
I sing to my boys (badly). "You Are My Sunshine" has always been popular. John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" is another favorite. When my boys were little and not as engaged, I would often sing what I wanted to say. This really got their attention and they thought it was funny. This led to silly songs about brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc. Music is just so beneficial.
Bug didn't sing. He acted horribly Autistic. He just kept saying, "I want to go home. I don't like to sing. I need a break. Let's go to the car. I want to go home."Sigh.
BUT - I'm stunned by all the responses here - because I thought it was a spectrum thing - but clearly it is a personality thing!
Thanks for your responses!
My dd likes music and loves singing but she's the only one allowed. We're not allowed to join in, mouth the words or even tap our feet to the beat.
I have sung before in my various bands. I usually sing backing vocals/harmony, though. I don't like doing lead because it intereferes with my bass playing.yes, yes, yes
Twinkle Twinkle
The Wheels on the Bus
ABC song
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Chrissy-mom of Zachary, Autism
I hanve two kids on the spectrum. My son could sing before he could talk.He loved singing. It was like living in a musical, he had a song for every occasion that was appropriate. To this day he can hear a tune once and sing it back perfectly.When he could talk, he made up songs too. My duaghter who has very littlelanguageat all and is now 5 we have heard singing whenshe is alone. She makes up sounds because she struggles with words but they are recognisable tunes. my neighbour told me she heard he "singing old macdonald" in the backyard by herself. I have heard this and another tune her brother is learning to play onthe keyboard.
I have always sung to my children even when they wee little babies in my arms. Unfortunately I can't sing in tune. My son used to love my singing and sing with me , now he is older he says "wont you stop singing? and covers his ears.
Music Therapy really helped my son. My daughter wasn't interested but now I think we will try again. Liz
Andrew LOVES to sing! He could sing before he could talk. I still think he has perfect pitch or close to it. One of my first posts here was about music therapy. He still hasn't had it.
I have always sung to my son. I have been singing to myself, in the shower, to help me memorize schoolwork, to express emotions, etc. since childhood. I sang in the church choir growing up.
savannah loves to sing too....Her favorites are Jesus loves me and you are my sunshine.When we brought Cole home from the hospital after being born 14 weeks early, weighing barely over a pound, and spending 110 days in the hospital, I was too emotional to sing normal baby songs. Lullabies made me boo-hoo. Plus, we brought him home 2 days before Christmas, and carols would set me to sobbing (post trauma, I guess). Jingle bells even made me cry!
So I sang "I aint never gonna love nobody like Cornell Crawford" and "oh Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz" and "I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison and I went to pick her up in the rain...". Several times a day, I did a medley of these AWFUL country songs, just because they made me laugh. I mean, who else on the planet was singing "but before I could get to the station in my pick-up truck, she got run over by a danged ole train..."
All of my kids problems can probably be attributed to these songs! But they can carry a tune!
Yep, something they picked up from their sister. Old macdonald and wiggle songs are their favorites. They actually sing better than they talk I think. I have wiggle music that plays the tune without singing the words and Nikolas just sings and sings to it. It shocked me the first time he did that. They don't sing at school so much, but they do pick up songs there and sing them at home.[QUOTE=foxl]-- I will respond -- how may of YOU sing TO your ASD child?
I sang T to sleep a lot -- mostly Beatles medleys, haha. Now she makes me stop singing and tells me I CANNOT copy off the TV or whatever ... but she used to love it.
[/QUOTE]
I've been singing to them since they were in the womb. Now they tell me shhhhhhh. LOL!
Maybe we should all get them Karaoke machines for Xmas!i got a singer,dancer and plays music instruments too LOL!Both my boys sing and have been for a while. Whenever Johnathan saw a candle he would sing Happy Birthday to You. They are both in the choir at their school. They fall asleep to music every night whether it's classical or kids tunes.
Catharine
I guess I don't sing that much myself anymore, especially since our 5 year old usually says "stop singing" (I actually have a decent voice, have sung in choirs, etc).
But when my autistic son was a toddler, I used to sing to him at bedtime. Lullabies did *not* help him relax. I had to sing fairly up-tempo songs, like "the ants go marching one by one."
I also have made up some silly little ditties for the kids. One I remember in particular was to let out my frustration over my autistic son getting hung up on the word "ingot" in one of his train books. He just kept talking and asking about it. So my song went, "blah and blah and talk about the ingots, talk about the ingots." Of course my frustrated tone was completely lost on him -- he loved the song and wanted me to sing it over and over! LOL
Music is very much connected with my other life - the life before autism. I use to sing in choires and enjoy music but no more ... too much emotions.
My son learned to sing late (he has a musical ear and voice) but he always liked to listen it. He was in a music group (social skills - RDI) and the teachers told me that he has a special talent for music and rythm. I bought him a guitar and he is trying to play it ....
The interesting part is that singing came in after some good language was in place .... auditory memory processing problem ?
My son has been in "tune" from day one, very fortunate and odd given his siblings are flat as a board. They all love to sing! I do think he will be involved in something musical as he grows. Funny the special gifts you recieve along the way even with all the challenges.
Here is a song I wrote for him a few months back...
http://talusmusic.com/MarkMathis/Shine/Songs/Shine.mp3
Best regards,
M
Jair did NOT sing! Then he started singing only when he was alone andthought no one could hear him. Never real songs, just made up words/
tunes: "My arm, my arm, my arm, my arm..." and "beautiful... holiday...
holiday... beautiful..." I sang to him all of the time, and begged him to
sing.
I think he thought that all songs were original, not something people
memorized and repeated.
Briana got him to finally sing two words of the Wonder Pets song -
(What's gonna work?) "TEAM WORK!" They would sing that line over and
over.
Then a longer repetitive phrase from The wise man built his house upon
the rock - he would sing "THE RAINS CAME DOWN AND THE FLOODS
CAME UP," over and over and over.
Now he sings the Stoplight song, "Red means stop, Green means go..."
So he's singing now! But there for awhile, I wondered if he ever would.
My son could hum tunes correctly (which is more than I can say for my husband LOL) before he could talk. He clearly enjoyed music from early on. We played a lot of classical music for him.. a Fisher Price toy I think.He really rocks and moves in the car with the music on, especially rock.
Nowadays he sings
ba ba black sheep
wheels on the bus
red, orange, green and blue or something like that...
heads and shoulders
if you are happy
twinkle twinkle
tries the hi fi song.. i am special, special...
and a few more....
all in perfect tunes!!!! I love to hear him sing.
Mary
Copyright Autism-PDD.net