The brains of children with autism search for meaning in the world and are naturally attracted to music. If children with autism process speech as music, and music is highly repetitive, it's understandable for these children to repeat what they hear.
The Music and Communication Connection
Since then, researchers have systematically studied the musical processing abilities of individuals with autism and have shown that while language may sometimes be deficient, these individuals process music similarly to typically developing individuals."
Music therapy for autistic people is often improvisational. This means the music is spontaneous and matches the temperament of the person playing. Music therapists say music with a strong beat, simple structure, and easy lyrics do best.
Children with ASD are motivated to engage in music activities and it can be a preferred medium to operate within. They thrive within structure and music fulfills this need for structure and routine. First of all, children with ASD seem to enjoy musical experiences because they are often “good at it”.
Many studies found that music helps those with autism to develop better social skills and generate confidence in them. Music therapists have shown that music can reduce the stress and anxiety levels of autistic children and adults. It can reduce distressed behaviors as well.
Auditory stimming can involve the person repeatedly listening to the same sounds or making the same noises. Bubble tubes provide a gentle bubbling noise which can be very pleasant for auditory stimming. Auditory stimming examples: Playing the same song over and over, clicking fingers, clapping, humming.
Stimming is short for self-stimulation, or the repetition of certain movements, sounds, or behaviors like rocking, or hand-flapping, or head-banging, or singing A-B-C-D-E-F-G four hundred and ninety-two times in an hour.
“Music has the power to stimulate the pleasure centres in our brain, notably the neuro-transmitter dopamine,” explains psychologist Dr Audrey Tang. She explains that the brain wants to continue engaging in activities that activate dopamine, which is one of the reasons certain songs can feel 'addictive'.
Auditory stimming uses the person's sense of hearing and sound. It may include behaviors such as: vocal sounds, such as humming. tapping on objects or ears, covering and uncovering ears, and finger-snapping. repetitive speech.
People diagnosed with an ASD often appear to experience states that fluctuate more widely and more often, sending them out of sync with typical daily rhythms.
The brains of children with autism search for meaning in the world and are naturally attracted to music. If children with autism process speech as music, and music is highly repetitive, it's understandable for these children to repeat what they hear.
Autistic people who have trouble identifying their emotions, a condition known as alexithymia, are likely to have anxiety, depression and problems with social communication, according to a new study1.
Many autistic people get very stuck in loops of rumination and uncertainty, and the feeling of going round and round, the anxiety and worry, can be really unbearable. I call this 'loops of concern'.
In addition to enhanced abilities and differing levels of processing, autistic individuals also have been found to have difficulties with regard to auditory processing.
Autistic children and teenagers are sometimes oversensitive to things like noise, crowds or temperature. They try to avoid sensory experiences.
Stimming behaviour is almost always present in people on the autism spectrum but does not, on its own, necessarily indicate the diagnosis. The biggest difference between autistic and non-autistic stimming is the type of stim and the quantity of stimming.
Humming or singing is a common type of vocal stimming. It can be a way for individuals with ASD to regulate their sensory input and cope with the overwhelming environment around them. They may hum or sing a favorite song repeatedly, or create their own tunes.
Do people with ADHD listen to songs on a loop? Not necessarily. Listening to songs on repeat is more about personal preference and less about neurotype.
Repetition creates familiarity. Familiarity creates comfort. Repetition brings learning to life. Knowing how something works, like a melody repeated, brings peace and a sense of normalcy and calm.
It is more of a mental anticipation. Your brain has become accustomed to the different changes in notes and you begin to anticipate the next part. I believe it is something like 90% of the music we hear we have heard before at some point in time.
Ordinary stimming occurs with limitations and is less repetitive than autistic stimming. When desired ordinary stim can be controlled. For example a person can choose not to bite nails when attending an important meeting. Autistic people have very less or no control over stimming.
Stimming is not included as a symptom of ADHD in the last Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), the guide used by clinicians to diagnose mental health disorders. Stimming, however, is included in the DSM-5 (the most recent edition) as a symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
While many people have a stim they use to self-regulate, it's not always obvious to others. You may not use your stim often, or you may know how to control the behavior. For people with autism, stimming is much more pronounced. This is because people with autism experience senses differently.