Guest Contributor
Dr. Susan Larson Kidd
Special Educator                                                                                     more tips

                                                                                                link to talk about music

Music can help your child with these things

•Emotional regulation

•Thought and sequencing regulation

•Language enhancement

•Routine structure with ease

•Memory capacity

•Motor development

•Self esteem building

•Social avenues

Music in the environment


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

Music to teach new skills

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

Music to play by

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.

We Sing Silly Songs

Skidamarink

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Below 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.