Brain Pathways

Music (and sometimes poetry) use slightly different pathways than our typical language production. So, a person with autism, like Mikey, may struggle to have a typical conversation, but they may be able to remember music lyrics and sing them fluently.

For example, Mikey can sing Old MacDonald, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, This Little Light of Mine, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. You get the idea.  He also knows about twenty theme songs for cartoons he has watched over the years.  Not just the tune, he can sing the words.

For this reason, we often gave him sing-along DVDs to watch and he loved them. For. More on that, click the link below.

Mikey also knows a few simple poems. I think the same concept applies.  The rhythm and beat of the words helps him to remember them and produce them clearly.

So

If you’re feeling stuck with conversation, try some singing. The neural pathways are different, but the muscles used to make the sounds are similar. By practicing with singing, we’re helping diminish their struggle with speaking. Singing might come more easily, might make speaking come along a bit more quickly… and it’s pretty fun too! I mean, how could it hurt?