Toy Target Skills

The Toy Videos

Toy No. 1

OPEN  and the lights blink.

TILT and the light flow in the direction of the tilt.

PAT and the lights blink.

Toy No. 2

STRETCH away from each other and the light glow mildly.

MOVE towards each and the lights blink quickly.

TOUCH hands and the toy vibrates.

Toy No. 3

When the toy is right side up. 

CLAP/ tap/ shout and the lights blink.

When the toy is Upside Down.

BEND the finds and the toy plays notes. Both fins have to be bent at the same time in order to sound. 

MOVE the handle from one extreme to the other changes the pitch( higher-lower) of the notes produced when both fins are bent.

Drawdio: Draw with audio

What is Drawdio? 
Imagine you could draw musical instruments on normal paper with any pencil (cheap circuit thumb-tacked on) and then play them with your finger. The Drawdio circuit-craft lets you MacGuyver your everyday objects into musical instruments: paintbrushes, macaroni, trees, grandpa, even the kitchen sink... 

Created by Jay Silver ( a member of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab), kit created in Collaboration with Ladyada 

Music Therapy aids Social Interaction

Sensory stimulation aids Social Interaction is a hunch that I am working and do not yet have concrete proof of. So I was looking to see if any studies suggest that its possible....

Introduction

Music therapy uses live music making and composition techniques to encourage children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders to engage in spontaneous and creative musical activities.

The therapist and client use a variety of percussion or tuned instruments, or voice, to develop shared and interactive musical activities.

The individual with autism does not need musical skills to benefit from music therapy but the music therapist does need a high level of musical and therapeutic skill.

Supporters of music therapy believe that it can be used to develop social engagement, joint attention, communication abilities, while also addressing emotional needs and quality of life.

Aims

According to the National Autistic Society

‘Music therapy aims to encourage increased self-awareness/self-other awareness, leading to more overt social interactions. The therapy stimulates and develops the communicative use of voice and pre-verbal dialogue with another, establishing meaning and relationship to underpin language development. The client may also benefit from increased tolerance of sound, tolerance of and capacity for two-way communication, the opportunity to exercise joint attention, and other emotional needs met in the therapeutic process.’ (National Autistic Society, 2005)

Claims

There have been a number of claims for the use of music therapy with individuals with autism. For example, Wigram, Gold and Oldfield have claimed the following benefits for music therapy.

In the area of Social development:

• Motivated interaction
• Shared and understood experiences
• Relationship building skills
• Tolerance of change
• Entrained responses
• Flexibility

In the area of Emotional needs:

• Developed and Increased sense of self
• Empathic synchronicity – shared emotions
• Containment of emotional expression
• Emergence of insight and self-esteem    

For more....

Sensory Stuff

Sensory Spaces and Products from the Sensory Impact website.