Friday 15 February 2013

Music News: Music heals Autism

Each day there are new advancements in the field of music. Music is known to have positive impacts on human beings. It has motivating, energizing and pacifying effects. It is also a great stress-buster. Because of these amazing effects it is also used for medical therapies. Music news indicates the remarkable results of such therapies. Recent news has highlighted the use of music for treating autism.

Autism is a medical condition characterized by abnormal neural development. The symptoms of this disorder become visible during infancy or childhood. This condition impairs communication and social interaction. The children suffering from this disorder exhibit repetitive behavior. Autism can prove to a nightmare for any parents. It detaches them from the child. The apprehensions about this disorder are further magnified because of lack of treatment. The medical community is yet to discover a lot about this problem. Thereby it has very few treatment options. The ones that are available are also very expensive and involve intensive training sessions.

Music therapy is beginning to show some hope for treating Autism. It not only serves as a soothing agent but also acts as an effective mode of communication.

Music therapy is very useful for autistic children as it is nonverbal and non-threatening. You do not have to give any commands to these kids. Music creates a conducive environment where such kids feel comfortable. The therapists design music activities that are tailored to meet the special needs of these kids.  Musical games such as passing an object or musical chair promote social interaction. The kids can also be encouraged to produce sound and do simple things. Musical shows or plays can be organized to create awareness about this disorder. Such programs can help in changing the mentality of society towards autistic children. Such kids need a lot of care and affection. The empathic behavior from the society can definitely help
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The most impressive effects of music therapy have been in speech development of autistic children. Communication is one of the biggest challenges faced by these kids. They are unable to communicate properly. They do not speak. They merely grunt, shriek, cry or hum. Even the more advanced autistic children are just able to communicate in a monotonous way that lacks expression. The music classes encourage the interaction of such children. They promote them to articulate new sounds and bring emotion in their tone. The role of music teachers becomes very important here. The teachers promote positive reinforcement by rewarding children by playing their favorite music each time they perform well.

There are scientific evidences that prove that autistic children are highly sensitive towards music. Many a times, it has been observed that these children can master playing musical instruments. The objective of music therapy is to harness their interest in music and use it in improving their communication skills. Therapists can use songs with simple words and play them repeatedly to improve the vocabulary of these children.

You should stay informed about the latest music news to know whether any new techniques have been developed to treat autism.