As some of you may have already read in earlier blogs, I have a lot of experience with Autism growing up with my great uncle in the house . He was actually a complex human being with many specials needs. When he was a child there were no treatments or places for folks with his special needs to be helped. So uncle Harold grew up developing his own language and signs...
I went through school as a special ed student myself.
I had kids spit on me, and trip me, and do terrible things to me, because I could not read . By the time I was in High School I was making b s and taking the world be storm. I always told myself that I was going to do something for kids like us ! I went to collage at Western Michigan University for Child Psychology. Then I started having a family of my own. 5 wonderful brothers... :) Through the years I have spent time creating venues for children of all needs to meet on stage and share their unique gifts. I love music the most because it unlocks that which can not be spoken. It soars though our hearts and it brings images to others from the heart of the musician. I found growing up that I could not read, but I could read music, write and memorize music from the time I was 7. Music saved my life. I have seen how it has changed the lives of so many children along with drama and dance...
I do hope you all will read this article below.. It is very good... See you in class..
I can not wait to twirl with you..and your child. Happy Solstice Blessings.
Miss Mana
Research Shows Music Can Help Nonverbal Children with Autism to Say First Words
According to a proof-of-concept study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a new treatment using music can help nonverbal children with autism to develop speech.
Children with autism often struggle with communication and other forms of social interaction, but they often respond positively to music. The Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT) builds on these observations. The AMMT treatment uses a combination of singing (intonation) and motor activities to strengthen a network of brain regions that is thought to be abnormal in children with autism.
“We developed AMMT, in part, because another intonation-based therapy, known as Melodic Intonation Therapy, had been successful in helping stroke patients with aphasia recover their ability to speak,” explains senior author Gottfried Schlaug, MD, PhD.
After eight weeks of AMMT treatment (five days per week), the six children in the study–who ranged in age from six to nine and were previously completely nonverbal–were able to approximate whole words and phrases. The children could also generalize their speech production to words that were not practiced during the therapy.
“In the future, we plan to compare the effectiveness of AMMT with a control intervention,” first author Catherine Wan, PhD, says. “For these nonverbal children to say their first words is especially gratifying for parents, and represents a critical step forward in their language development.”
We look forward to hearing more!
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