Music for an Autistic Person: Both a Stimulator and an Antidepressant

The degree of fascination with music may vary, but autistic children generally enjoy it. For some, this interest can be particularly strong and focused. There is a simple general explanation for this: if spinning, jumping, and other repetitive and rhythmic movements satisfy a physical sensory need, music often serves the same purpose by addressing auditory and emotional needs. However, the reasons can also be considered individually.

1. Music provides predictability in a chaotic world. Autistic people often have difficulty filtering sensory information (such as the hum of lights, the noise of distant traffic, or the texture of clothing), which can make the world seem overwhelming and unpredictable.

• Music has a clear structure and is built around patterns. Unlike human conversation or environmental noise, every composition has a predictable rhythm, melody, and chord progression.
• Knowing what comes next (especially in a favorite song that has already been listened to many times) creates a sense of safety and control.

2. It represents sensory information that is easy to process.

• If a child has difficulty processing background noise, listening to music through headphones can eliminate the chaos by providing a single organized stream of sound.
• Many compositions have a clear, pronounced rhythm. The vestibular system (the inner ear system responsible for the sensation of movement and balance) responds to it — the same system that is stimulated by spinning and other rhythmic movements. This effect can have a calming effect and help organize the activity of the nervous system.

3. Music helps with expressing and regulating emotions. Many autistic people experience things very deeply but have difficulty recognizing their feelings or identifying and describing them.

• If an autistic person cannot describe their feelings in words, music can come to their aid. A fast tempo corresponds to a state of joy, while heavy metal or a strong bass may express tension and anxiety. In both cases, music becomes a reflection of the person’s inner state and allows them to relax.
• Another function is mood regulation. When a person is sad, they may play a sad melody. An autistic person, however, may listen to the same song many times in order to reach a particular emotional state — whether that means calming down or getting a boost of energy.

4. It is also important to consider that cognition in autism is often characterized by monotropism — an intense focus on a small number of interests at a particular moment.

• Music offers infinite depth rather than breadth. A child may enjoy not simply a song but also the opportunity to focus on the bass line, drum pattern, recording quality, or lyrics. This focus is pleasurable and provides a calming effect.
• Music often becomes a “special interest,” bringing joy and becoming a reliable source of comfort and a guarantee of stability.

5. Communication with other people requires interpreting eye contact, body language, tone of voice, and context — tasks that can be difficult and stressful. But listening to music does not require social interaction.

• Music is a social phenomenon that makes no demands. A child can experience an intense emotional connection with a musical composition or performer without the anxiety associated with reciprocal social interaction. It is a safe form of contact without the risk of misunderstanding.

Autistic people often love music not simply for its own sake, but because it is predictable, based on patterns, emotionally rich, and does not require social interaction. It shields such children from a chaotic world and gives them a safe outlet for intense emotions. In addition, parents can use music as a powerful tool for connection (through listening together), regulation (by choosing music that corresponds to the child’s energy level), and communication.

An interest in any form of art can only be welcomed, but music should nevertheless remain just that, rather than becoming a means of emotional self-regulation. In order for a child to begin perceiving it “like everyone else” (in the best sense of the expression), they should be freed from the cause of their internal imbalance, which is autism. And, as practice shows, cell therapy makes it possible to achieve this goal in the shortest possible time and with the greatest effectiveness.

This method began to be used relatively recently, although its potential had been confirmed much earlier. It is a high-tech procedure, the main stage of which involves the transplantation of stem cells. They are unique in that they can transform into other types of cells and, when necessary, replace them with healthy counterparts. In autism, this replacement occurs in the brain, and once it is rid of damaged cells whose dysfunction causes emotional breakdowns, behavioral disorders, and developmental delays, it soon begins to adequately perceive the world and send the correct signals to various systems of the body.

Cell therapy, which has already proven to work faster and more reliably than other types of intervention, has been adopted by leading clinics around the world. Among them is the Mardaleishvili Medical Center, where all conditions have been created for successful treatment. Its highly qualified doctors have extensive successful experience and access to the latest-generation equipment, making it possible to safely perform the minimally invasive procedure involved in transplantation.

Prices here are lower than in other countries with developed and modern healthcare systems, while additional advantages include the convenient location and assistance available during the planning stage and in arranging accommodation. Rehabilitation will not take long, and positive changes will soon become noticeable.

Cell therapy — an opportunity to enjoy music rather than use it as “medicine”!