Autism - Holding Therapy in Sound. 'Thomas's Music'

Author(s): Mrs. Hall, S.

Abstract: Four years of music therapy with a boy of 6. The mother (co-therapist) and I will trace the developments of us all. The mother has latterly withdrawn from interaction in session, acting as a 'chair-support' for Thomas. I will explain my approach, my subjective surmises, the music and the changes in Thomas, during sessions and over the years. I will explain that I view each action of Thomas' musically as deliberate, never chance, and how we play duets, share sounds and silences and how he copies playing the piano with elbows, arms, wrists and head and occasionally fingers. His musical understanding is hard for me to grasp, I wonder at it. We see the goal of music therapy for Thomas to be the reaching of his closely guarded personality. In normal social interaction he is unable to identify, imitate, codify or use any transmission or information that those around him are trying to involve him in, unless he feels totally secure and unchallenged. Using music the usual information and mood expressing channels in his brain can be by-passed and Thomas can both understand and be understood. The differing keys, rhythms and styles can reach his innermost feelings, even when he is under stress, so he can involve himself in the sound and initiate his own response. Gradually over the last two years he has been able to unlock himself physically as well as mentally, letting his right hand creep up to hover over the keyboard, playing single notes very delicately with his elbow and deliberately executed runs and trills with his forearm, changing the key at his own will. Frequently towards the end of the hour-long session he appears to be engulfed by the sound and wants his whole body to be part of it, his fingers weighing down and clutching the therapists fingers as she plays, his autism and epilepsy completely suspended for the duration of the session. This paper will be published by the BSMT later in l992, price on application.

Keyword(s): Music-therapy, autism.

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