Music to Everyone’s Ears
August 27, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
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Music to Our Ears is a program for 21 to 43 autistic persons designed by the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As noted in today’s KSHB.com:
“Music is processed in both the right and left hemispheres of the brain,” [Jennifer] Josephson [of the MacPhail Center] said. So it can bridge damaged or impaired areas of the brain. Music is fun. It’s empowering. Everyone can be successful at singing, playing a drum, unfurling a parachute or simply choosing a CD. So Josephson can work on the same goals that an occupational or physical therapist might without it feeling like work to clients.
Halfway through class, [43-year-old] Bujarski sits up and asks for Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade of Winter.” It is a turning point. Soon he’s standing, insisting that Josephson “put on a 45!”
And when Josephson asks how he feels now, Bujarski blurts an emphatic “FINE!”
That sounds like music to everyone’s ears, and then some.
More information about the MacPhail Center’s programs can be found here.
The “blurts an emphatic ‘FINE!’” reminds me strongly of an autistic guy I know who was trained to speak thus:
Someone says “hi.”
He says — emphatically and loudly — HI!!!
Someone says “how are you?”
He says — emphatically and loudly — FINE!!!
Trained response, not a spontaneous one. Had no other way of responding. I wonder if the guy they’re talking about got the same training.
When confronted with those bizarre ritual exchanges of “pleasantries” as are wont to happen when one encounters some person with whom one might have only the vaguest of aquaintence, Laurentius will grunt “oright” and only if you are priveleged (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) divulge how he is really feeling.
To be honest I don’t think the NT’s exchanges are anything more than a conditioned response either, they are just better at it.
Responding “fine” really does not mean much aside from some vague notion of “things are okay, more or less.” Same as “nice.” Charlie has been taught to say “I’m fine,” though he can’t say the “f” sound too clearly.