Rhythm and Autism can work together!

Over the years I have had many opportunities to work with diverse populations including youth, senior citizens, bereavement, corporate, spouse, male, female, musical, non-musical, mental health patients and many more. Curiously, I had not worked with autistic populations at any level. I was under the impression that hand drumming was not a viable and enjoyable option. This impression had been reinforced through a variety of anecdotal conversations with para-professionals and counselors who all pretty much said that drumming had a tendency towards stimulus overload for autistic individuals and that the issue is often exacerbated in groups.

By limiting my queries to anecdotal passing conversations, I had unknowingly totally missed the boat on the fact that many Music Thereapist work with autism patients on a regular basis. So how did I find this out? Well, a mother with a teenage child approached me and asked if I could continue hand drumming lessons with her child. She indicated that her child was actually a pretty good player. Based on my previous limited awareness, I asked: Do you mean hand drumming? Can the child really play? Are you sure? I was trying to carefully suggest that this may not be the best thing. The parent reassured me that she was absolutely certain of her child's capability to study hand drumming. She stated that everything would be just fine. We then scheduled a private session.

Well, to my surprise, the teenager was amazing! During the hour session, we played a number of different rhythms that the student had previously learned during three years of study with a Music Therapist. The student was focused and attentive the entire time. Again, I was stunned. After the session I called a few of my Music Therapist friends to express my shock at what I had just experienced. To their credit, each of them pretty much said, "of course, Frank, we work with these situations all the time. Every situation is unique. Some autism people can handle hand drumming in group or individual settings with minimal issues while for others it can be very unsettling in any setting".

This note is to personal acknowledge and praise the tremendous work that Music Therapists do and to honor those parents who have children with disabilities who do all they can to provide their children with the best support possible.

Unexpected Rhythms have been added to my practice because of the work of a Music Therapist I have never met coupled with the determination of a loving parent committed to opening the world of music to her child.