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Autism and music : there are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone on the autism spectrum .
People who have autism who are also blind or vision impaired are statistically more likely to have exceptional musical skills . However , it ’ s important to remember that most musicians with autism are not musical savants , most learn their skills through passion and hard work just like the rest of us . Some people with autism develop an obsessive love of music and will spend hours practising the art form they love . A love for music and longs hours of practise will always improve your musical skill , no matter how much talent you were born with .
Perfect pitch
People with perfect pitch can tell you the name of a note just by listening to it . Research suggests that people with autism are more likely to have perfect pitch than the neurologically typical population . Moreover , people who have perfect pitch have been found to be more likely to display autistic traits , even if they don ’ t meet enough criteria to be diagnosed .
No one is entirely sure why perfect pitch is more common in people with autism , although some speculate that it may be related to their heightened sensitivity to sound . Having perfect pitch can be a great benefit in learning to play music , but perfect pitch alone doesn ’ t guarantee musical skill .
People with perfect pitch can also face problems that the rest of us do not . For example , some find it physically painful to hear music which is even slightly out of tune , making a visit to the local primary school ’ s recorder concert an absolute nightmare .
Music and emotion
Just like the rest of the population , for people with autism , their emotional reactions to music vary widely between individuals . Temple Grandin , a professor at Colorado State University who lives with autism says that although she can intellectually enjoy music , she doesn ’ t experience any emotional response to it . However , many other people with autism respond strongly to music , and music therapy is regularly used to encourage responses in people who otherwise have trouble communicating .
Emotion in musical performance is equally varied . Some people with
Sound sensitivity : familiarise yourself with a piece of recorded music before hearing it live . autism may play mechanically , but others use it as a tool to express their emotions . For example , Rory Burnside , lead singer of Rudely Interrupted ( featured in the February issue of Link ) has autism and has written a number of songs about love and heartbreak , including No Goodbyes which featured on the band ’ s album of the same name .
So , what is the truth behind the myths about music and autism ? Well , having autism can affect the way you perceive and perform music , but it ’ s important to remember that there are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone on the autism spectrum . People with autism are all different and they have the same range of musical skills and responses as the rest of us . www . monash . academia . edu / AntheaSkinner linkonline . com . au autism
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