AS Question

[qthewingedserpent]

I was just wondering if anyone knew whether complete disinterest in music was a classic AS sign or not? I've never seen it listed anywhere but it's one of my quirks - I'm just not bothered about any music. I know some autistic spectrum people have an amazing gift for it but can you also be in the other direction?

Anyone who's known of this in AS I'd love to hear from you.

Edited January 12, 2006 by qthewingedserpent

[phasmid]

Can't help on that one as phas jr is the opposite. He'll sit and listen to music for hours...well most of it is apparently music - to me its just noise with a few indistinct words thrown at it.

[UltraMum]

J has no interest in music (age 9) and positively abhors singing at school.

[baddad]

My thoughts are that it's just a personal thing.

If you look at the population in general there are some who aren't really fussed, a majority who like music to some degree and absolute nutters who can be reduced to tears by a single well played chord (D minor, I think!)

I think where people with ASD's develop savant skills, they just fall into the latter catergory, but then have that ASD obsessivness giving it a push into hyper-drive...

One other thought - Music is just MATH. So's drawing, so's spinning... Most of the things people with ASD obsess about usually boil down to a fundamental 'maths' equation, with all of the solidity, structure and predictabilty they enjoy. Playtime is 'chaos theory', so it's no surprise that a high percentage of our kids would rather be indoors listening to music, playing on the PC (maths!) or drawing a picture..

 

Hmmmmm. very 'deep' baddad - you'll ruin your reputation

 

[bighead!]

 

L&P

 

BD

[adamsmum]

I will listen to the same cd over and over. It drives the old man insane . I find the songs relaxing

[LizC]

Hi I think symtoms/signs of AS are different form person to person. My grandad had aspergers syndrome and he was a brilliant/professional pianist. He would get up in the middle of the night and compose stuff!

 

My ds has AS he is 5 but he struggles with Maths and numbers, he does have extra learning difficulties along side his AS though!

[ceecee]

I have a.s. but struggled with maths at school and I have read this to be the case with lots of people with a.s.

 

But then you get others who are brilliant at maths.

 

I think your right it varies.You all have the same core symptoms to different degrees though.

[Tally]

I love music a great deal, and at some times, a particular musician/band has been my special interest.

 

But everyone's different. Computing is supposed to be a common aspie interest, but knowing how to use the basic features for my own enjoyment is as far as my interest in computers goes.

 

I don't think it's AS that makes you disinterested in music. I think that's just your personality.

[ceecee]

Tally

 

I think the majority of people with A.S. are very computer minded and also look at it as a way of having friends by joining online forums etc.It is probably easier for them to do that than to try to form lots of relationships with people in real life.My hubbie's friend is exactly like this.People with a.s. are often really good on the computer and many are computer programmers etc.

 

I have to say despite having A.S. i am rubbish on the computer.Can just about post

[Canopus]

Does anybody's kid play a musical instrument?

[adamsmum]

K loves Instruments. He likes the drums and the keyboard. He's got a good ear for music but not learnt to play propaly yet

[Guest flutter]

dd sings

[Zemanski]

Com has sensory issues with certain pitches and hates anyone to sing.

 

he also has very poor rhythm and his motor skills make instruments frustrating

 

if you have these sort of sensory problems it must make music difficult to enjoy - he does like thrash and punk though

 

Zemanski

[Canopus]

he also has very poor rhythm and his motor skills make instruments frustrating

 

I was often accused of having poor rhythm and handling musical instruments awkwardly at school. My primary school never really gave anybody a chance to get their hands on "proper" musical instruments. I spent a term in Y4 with recorders but found them difficult to play effectively. I don't think they are a proper instrument because they are never used anywhere except schools. I wanted to learn the piano because it only required you to move your fingers rather than do multiple actions simultaneously as with other instruments. However, the school only let kids near the piano as a privilege and the kids had to show strong musical talent beforehand which excluded me. A year after I moved to secondary school my primary school bought a batch of Yamaha keyboards for the kids to use and they were very popular.

[lorryw]

My son loves any kind of music. He also sings beautifully,perfect pitch and tone although hes non verbal.

Lorainexx

[OPooh]

My ds hated having to use music to join in a group (eg singing) but loves dancing around to it.

[IAmNotPrinceHamlet]

I have AS and I love music. I'm one of these people who find themselves crying when listening to certain pieces of music (Mozart's Ave Maria, for example). As an earlier poster stated, it's all down to the maths - well, it's down to the formula. Music is formulaic. It is logical. Aspies are more inclined to dig deeper into the theory of music, such as harmonics, construction, etc. When I listen to music, I hear every single note played. I listen for everything (rhythm, timing, etc) , and not just the melody. To me, this is what is interesting about music. Obviously, not all Aspies will be interested in Music. I wasn't overly interested in Maths. I preferred street planning to Maths! I should add that I am sensitive to sound, but music doesn't affect me.

 

I started playing piano at 5 by ear. I could play anything I heard. My 10 year old Aspie son plays clarinet and piano.

Edited January 16, 2006 by IAmNotPrinceHamlet