Nathan ... Waking Up To The Beat Of The Drum

Most days find our son, Nathan, somewhat apprehensive and shy.  That is ... until ... he turns on some music and starts dancing (spinning) .. non stop until he either wears himself out ... or I purposely 'unplug' him.   Sometimes it's a struggle for the rest of the family to 'endure' another playing of 'Little GTO' ... or ... surfin' 60's music, or The Monster Mash, as he can listen to the same selection over and over.  Thank goodness when we built our home I had six inch walls stuffed with insulation and solid wood doors put on the bedroom doorways lest his bedroom would be moved to the basement ;)  On the bright side .. Nathan often sings along with the music ... helping him to practice his speech.  My once un-intelligibly voiced son is starting to string three and four word sentences together.  Music ... soothes the savage beast (so I've heard) ... and brings out the best in Nathan.  Normally, loud noise sets him off in a tizzy ... but not so with music .. to him it's a white noise pleasure.  BTW ... I have to frequently change the furniture placement so as not to wear a hole in the carpet.

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song,
      praise him in the company of all who love him.
   Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
      Zion's children exult in their King.
   Let them praise his name in dance;
      strike up the band and make great music!
   And why? Because God delights in his people,

      festoons plain folk with salvation garlands! 

Psalm 149:1-4 The Message Bible

Thank you, Dr. Boucher for exploring this topic with the many families you have helped to think outside of the box in the physical and occupational therapy areas of your expertise.  To read more, visit her site, Therextras and follow her third annual blog carnival coming soon.