Autism and the Power of Music

Book excerpt: “Yasmine’s emphasis on social communication, emotional regulation, and supportive relationships embodies the most effective, cutting-edge approaches for supporting autistic individuals. Autism and The Power of Music is a much-needed resource for parents to connect with their children through music and will also be embraced by educators and clinicians who wish to infuse joyful learning experiences in their work.” — Barry M. Prizant, CCC-SLP, Brown University and author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism Music therapist Yasmine White shares the insights she’s developed after decades of working with children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum, both in private practice and as founder of Voices Together, a non-profit music therapy organization that brings her effective techniques to schools across North Carolina. The techniques featured in this book are designed to bring back the connection of joy, motivation, and understanding that everyone needs in order to truly grow. As any parent of a child with autism understands, sometimes helping your child can feel overwhelmingly hard. Autism and the Power of Music helps find insightful, practical new ways for you and your child to connect through music, even when it feels difficult. Because music and language may be processed in the same hemisphere of the brain in children on the spectrum, the techniques in this book can help unlock language in an entirely new way. Music becomes a bridge to help children access language in ways other approaches cannot. As Dr. Terri L. Shelton says in her foreword, “To have an interaction that is affirming, fun, and successful, that builds on the child’s strengths and preferences and enhances their interest in engaging and ability to sustain that engagement increases the chance that all other encounters, whether with their friends, their families, or with therapists and teachers, will be successful.”