Special Educator
•Emotional regulation
•Think and sequence events
•Understand and use language
•Routine structure with ease
•Remember things
•Motor development
•Develop self esteem
•Interact socially
You can play music during dinner with your family to help your child’s digestive system because the auditory nerve ends in the tongue.
Dinner music example:George Winston
If you play a selection of music every day during the same activity, it will help cue your child to come willingly to participate in that activity.
Music for cleaning up toys: Cleanup
Playing calming music at bedtime or after highly stimulating activity will help your relax his or her body.
Music for bedtime example:Lullaby
You can use music with your child to teach emotional regulation skills. Play songs with emotion words in them to learn words for emotions. Music about emotions:Getting to Know Myselfby Hap Palmer
You can use songs to teach the skill of sequencing.
Music to teach sequencing:BINGO
Songs can help you teach your child learn language categories:
Example of song for teaching categories:Old MacDonald had a Farm
To help your child learn even quicker, use visual supports with these songs.
You can use music to help your child learn to do new things. Make up songs about what you are doing as you teach your child. Use a tune from another song that you already know--this is called a Piggyback Song.
For many more simple teaching songs, go to Super Simple Songs
Use songs as a way to play with your child. Using songs with movement will help your child improve attention, motor skills, and social engagement.
Below, the first video clip in this collection is a video clip of a family with four very musically talented family members, playing music together. The two children have autism. If you love watching this clip, go to the family You Tube Channel to see other clips of these children singing and "quoting" and generally being just the coolest kids.