It has been difficult finding videos that I can share, due to client confidentiality and privacy. However, I did manage to get the following with my participants with autism 😊
Here’s one of the music-playing activities we do, with participants of different strengths, needs and abilities.
J needs time to process information, and participates with little sustained attention. However, he is motivated to play a song, and this activity makes him focus, stay on track and persevere to the end.
S has a very steady sense of beat, and usually taps the instruments on the first beat of each bar. Here however, he surprised us by spontaneously playing them with a different rhythm pattern after hearing others in the group do so / getting into the flow of the song. He is also learning to keep track of where he is in the song and play the notes accurately, instead of guessing where the next pair of notes are.
C and D are my most talented participants! They did not require much teaching where playing is concerned. For them, the focus is on self-expression and playing with others (they are sometimes given duets to play). The latter requires listening, responding and focusing beyond the self (also crucial skills in communication!). Here, C has been supporting the others in the group by helping to point to where they are in the song sheet (“score”), and now is standing beside D to sing along.
While the song sheet that they are looking at is the same, which provides the basic structure for playing, there is space for individual variations (which can sometimes be difficult for participants with autism). This enriches the experience of the whole group and teaches participants that there is more than one way of doing things!
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