Nurturing autistic children through music therapy

CHENNAI: Music is like a magic pill for our hearts and minds, calming our pain and bringing comfort. It’s like medicine for our feelings and thoughts. Studies show that listening to music can make us feel less worried or sad. For people with autism, things like drawing and music are like building blocks for their special world.

In 2013, Carnatic classical musician Girijashankar Sundaresan was approached by Nandhini Santhanam from the Lotus Foundation to perform a concert specifically for children with autism.”My perspective on music shifted when I visited the school for a performance. I was amazed by the children’s response to the music, even though they may not have known much about it. It was a touching experience and I felt grateful for the opportunity to share his music with them,” says Girijashankar Sundaresan, who has been performing for over 20 years.

Recently, the city witnessed a special event called the Concert For Autism to support autism awareness month. Girijashankar presented the show in collaboration with Go Beyond Autism Centre. The concert witnessed performances by Girijashankar, Madan Mohan and Sai Shankar, at Bharata Kalanjali in Tharamani. The musician feels that it is the need of the hour to use music as a therapeutic tool.

Girijashankar was deeply impressed by the reaction of this special gathering. He states, “They don’t expect anything and approach the music with open hearts and clear minds, which is important in today’s art world.” Through observing the children, the musician truly understood the meaning behind the phrase ‘Music heals’.

He emphasised that this event wasn’t like a typical concert, where performers are on stage and audiences watch.

“Instead, it was a shared journey where everyone was equally involved, regardless of whether they were performers or spectators. This inclusivity made the experience vibrant and interactive,” the singer fondly remembers.

Go Beyond Autism Centre is coming up with many initiatives to use music therapy for autistic kids and teach fine arts and music to those interested in pursuing it.

“The idea behind organising such concerts is to unite parents and kids. Girijashankar wanted to heal autistic children with music and our mentor, Nandhini Santhanam, materialised this concept. We wanted to create a space for all the special kids,” says Pradeep and Vijayakanth, co-founders and managing trustee of Go Beyond.

Explaining DT Next on the effects of autism and how music plays a major role as a healing agent, Vijayakanth elucidates, “Autism affects the sensory integration and communication, which in turn affects the children’s socialising skills. It impacts the core of a human being. Concerts act as a stimuli in integrating the senses. If the kids hear someone singing, it influences their hearing senses. We approach this as a therapy. They are intolerant of sitting, but here they are willing to sit for around two hours, without any force. They connect with the rhythm. Such things will reflect in other crowded places like weddings and airports.”

Children with autism use music as a medium to communicate and they start interacting with people there without the feeling of alienation. “Parents feel stressed to take their autistic kids to other concerts because their tantrums can affect people there. But here, they can enjoy the music without worrying about the behaviour of their kids,” Vijayakanth shares.

Spaces like these will benefit an entire community, prompting positivity and hope. “People get to know that they are not alone in this arduous path and get exposed to new perspectives,” reflects the co-founder.

He also adds that this is a training ground for teachers as well. “We observe how Girijashankar approaches the kids and their responses. We are also aware of which sound soothes them and which irritates them. It helps us to guide the kids in implementing this in their lives,” Vijayakanth remarks.

The team is planning to train the children to perform in their upcoming events, thus building an inclusive society. “Society’s treatment of them affects autistic children a lot. If they are treated with more love and understanding, it will shape their thoughts and behaviour. This results in reducing aggressiveness,” he believes.

Together, the team requests artistes to join such initiatives to mellow down the lack of empathy in society, as this is a collective effort to create a universal space.