ABA SONGS PROGRAM
Playskills Home Drills/Targets Ideas for Music as a social program. First, it must be noted that in any society in the world, ancient or contemporary, language-based or non-language based, with written language or without, first world or third world or in the deep dark jungles ---- there is NO SOCIETY that has not had three fundamental elements to their social program - MUSIC, DANCE (movement) and ART. These are FUNDAMENTAL elements to illustrate knowledge and awareness of their environment, celebration of life and times, and expressions of physical and spiritual joy.
Any child, no matter how old they are starting an ABA recovery program, should NOT be denied the opportunity to fully experience the sheer joy that comes with full participation with others in song and dance - no matter what you sound like, no matter what you look like. Children's songs are timeless AND ageless. Children LOVE music and it can be done EVERYWHERE and ANYTIME - in the morning, in the car, while doing any activity during the day, soft quite songs at nighttime, etc. Also ANY AGE - what adult has not sung a round of "The Ants go Marching", who doesn't have a song in their hearts and a smile on their face? Children of ALL ages can easily be persuaded to burst into song with one of their MANY MANY old familiar songs from childhood. If we counted the number of times in our lifetime that we sang each of those Christmas songs
What number would YOU be up to?
Fundamentally -- based on whatever level of autistic-spectrum disorder (verbal or non-verbal, old or young, high or low functioning), I see the SONG PROGRAM as a very important and MAJOR element of EARLY SOCIAL INTERACTION with the other kids. Although the other kids cannot get "into" his stage of toy play and interests, which makes interaction with him "uncomfortable", ALL CHILDREN love songs and music, and these ones are all classical favorites they love to sing. This is an EXCELLENT program to get him participating - looking at what the other kids are doing, copying the movement or physical actions they do, and repeating words in a sing-song rhyming fashion. This will also get the other kids to WANT to interact with him (when this means they have fun singing old favorites, or doing song-based activities with an adult directing the play).
As a result, the objective to a good solid music program is NOT just getting him to learn the words and music to new songs, but incorporating MUSIC into his life, and using it to open up a new avenue for social interaction with other people (children and adults).
Always note, that all of these ABA programs are just that - PROGRAMS !
They need:
- a PLAN OF ACTION, including specific objectives for YOUR child,
- good solid MATERIALS, specific to YOUR child,
- and an IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS in TWO parts:
a) one, mastery by the child in a fun play format (with or without other people as appropriate), mostly without other people
b) and then generalization within the family and social groups. All of these elements take care and attention.
I have finished Song books for him as follows:
1) "__child's name__'s FIRST SONG BOOK - His very own personal BIG font book with the lyrics (size 18 - 1-song per page) to almost all of the songs listed in the Autism Partnership SONGS PROGRAM (1-page), in addition to a number of others which are really easy and can be incorporated into a daily "fun" song program -- for example, the "Good morning song", "What are you wearing", and "Love in my Family". One song in particular can be used for learning ANYTHING either alone or with 1 or more other children (GOOD SOCIAL SONG to start out with) - just put whatever different things you are learning about (fruits, veggies, shapes, other) in their hands and and sing eg "If you have an apple, apple, apple; If you have an apple, please stand up". Then "OK -everyone please sit down." Or make the activity anything you want "shout ___", "run to the door", or whatever - use your imagination as there are lots of different ways to incorporate music and movement into learning. I put in a 1-pager for SHAPES and for what you are wearing, with more progressive instructions at the bottom.
HOW TO USE IT:
a) For this book, I have made the COMPLETE MASTER -- with ALL the pages -- as well as a WORKING MASTER, which has TWO SHEET PROTECTORS for song pages only -- the SAME COVER and another page for the song you are specifically working on at the moment with him. With the sheet protectors, you can easily change the song page itself, so he has only ONE or TWO (back to back) songs at a time in his hands. Also in the car, he can have this one and you can have the MASTER if you want to sing songs en route anywhere.
b) As I mentioned before, although big font for lyrics, there's LOTS of white space on the page - so go get stickers, photographs, cut out magazine pictures etc, as appropriate for the song, and create a visual page with the text. It should be fun to look at as well as to learn. Also, (the child) should be incorporated into the stage of PLACING these elements on the page as you go through the song initially with him.
Create the page with him -- make it his OWN. Even if his participation is only peripheral, do this with him ALONE (in therapy or playsitter session) and TALK about everything you are doing, why you are adding the visual elements, joke about the funny nature of the song if appropriate, talk about how much fun it is to learn songs and to sing them, sing the song out loud, etc.c) Songs should be incorporated ALL day -- wake-up songs in the morning with all your kids, always with the playsitters, in the car, with groups of kids at ANYONE's house -- pick a song and sing it, have other kids pick a song for everyone to sing. Try to get some of the songs to be sung in parts (one kid sings part, another kid replies) -- that way it is seen to be an INTERACTIVE "conversation" of sorts.
d) I ALWAYS called everything "GAMES", which ensure that it is clear that the time allocated has a beginning and an end. Make it clear that these are HIS OWN fun songs, so that he is always to be included. You can say "Hey everyone, let's play ___Child's Name's ___ SONG GAME" -- and launch into a song.
e) When it is time for him to LEARN a new song:
It could be introduced first with the other kids AND him (or with great enthusiasm alone in an ABA session). Let him see and hear the fun first, before you make requirements of him. Play the song on the tape (if available) over and over again. Or, sing it a lot ogether without the tape (slower), without the expectation that he sing the words, just that he participate with attention and the physical movements that you are adding for the other kids. If possible, introduce new songs with movement and dance, clapping, waving, physical motions and happy faces.
SONGS ARE A SOCIAL THING. People interact when they sing -- they feel happy and joyful, they look at each other's faces. Also, when children sing, they usually dance and move around as well.
Second, it CAN be done with him in his ABA session to learn the words to sing. Here I would say "CHILD -- it's time for MUSIC TIME, let's play the SONG GAME". The reason to say MUSIC TIME, is that I also believe that you should get a box filled with basic children's musical instruments, so that they can be incorporated into the "BEAT" of the song either now or later (as appropriate for him). For about $50.00 - $70.00 you can get about 10 different instruments and have them included in the music program. The best places to go are the Dollar Stores (check around, all of them sell different stuff), the "dollar rack" at Toys-R-Us and education-supplies stores (although much more expensive) are the best bets for instruments. Even get a few of those "cheap-looking baby instruments" - if they are unusually shaped they are still fun to look at and play.
f) Take each single Song page, either once mastered, or if it is clear it is a favorite, and put it up on the wall on the big laminated colored poster paper, so that he and others can SEE it. Make a project to get LOTS of pictures about the song, or pictures of the kids singing songs (fun visual queues) and tape them all around the song sheet. I would definitely put this one in the playroom. There must be elements in there to entice him in to play. Say "Hey, I have an idea ! Let's go sing a song" to everyone, and with great fanfare run into the playroom and burst into song.
2) TWO OTHER CHILDREN'S SONG BOOKS -- I photocopied the complete WEE SING book, and another little song book called SING-ALONG FAVORITES. I put covers on them with his name, so that it is clear to everyone as to whom they belong. Some of the songs are in the book I made above, some have different lyrics, and many others are just more fun favorites.
3) WEE SING CASSETTE -- I taped the one that we have. All the WEE SING songs that are in the book are on the tape. Since there was more room on the tape, I added the specific songs from the Raffi albums we have that I also included lyrics for in the SONG BOOK.
4) OTHER SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS -- I photocopied the complete file that I have on 225 songs and fingerplays -- there are some very very simple ones, easy to learn and involve various finger actions. They could be introduced in a more rhyming format by you or the ABA therapists, just to get him to LOOK at what you are doing (eg. counting hands making bee hives, with the fingers as bees that come out and buzz around). You could do one or two of these before launching into a song he needs to
work on.5) "WHERE IS THUMBKIN" book ISBN# 0-87659-164-0 CAD$14.95 GREAT for the MUSIC PROGRAM. It has Movement education, games with music, creative activities and sit-down work. Familiar & new song lyrics WITH great supplementary activities as applicable:
1. Divided into groups of Songs by MONTH of the year
2. Thematic connections
3. Art
4. Fine motor
5. Gross Motor
6. Language
7. Math
8. Dramatic play
9. Science
10. Social Studies
11. Outdoors
12. Related records and tapes
13. Related Bibliography6) "500 FIVE MINUTE GAMES-QUICK AND EASY ACTIVITIES FOR 3-6 YEARS OLDS"
ISBN# 0-87659-172-1 CAD$39.95
Good music stuff in here, along with MUCH more. FANTASTIC for social time (with 1 or more other kids); Great for any time, anywhere there is a few minutes to do SOMETHING; Easy to set up, easy to implement, by ANYONE, including babysitters or other younger/older people supervising your child.