Music Therapy: I remember my Tori loving to "sing" with me and loving music she could dance to. Here's the article: Family is sold on benefits of music therapy for autistic childAlisa Beckwith, special to datelineBindu Bennuri describes her son Prateek as a bright boy with a fondness for computers.These days Prateek, 9, often appears comfortable in new situations and new places but Bennuri remembers a time not so long ago that Prateek shied away from others in social environments.She also remembers how she discovered music therapy as a way to help her son overcome some of the socialization obstacles associated with his autism.As a physician, Bennuri was familiar with some of the studies that showed the benefits of music therapy in children with autism, an illness that often restricts the socialization and communication skills of its victims.Armed with the information from the research studies, two years ago she found a music therapist to work with her son. After seeing improvements in Prateek’s day to day socialization, she was sold on the advantages of the treatment.Last year when the Bennuri's moved to Alabama, they quickly began to seek another music therapist for Prateek. They soon found Shawna Smith, a certified music therapist.Twice a week, Prateek meets with Smith for 30 minutes. During this time they work on everything from learning his right from his left while dancing to singing multiplication tables.Bennuri says she has seen a marked difference in her son since he began his music therapy sessions. He knows all of the presidents and his multiplication tables but what makes Bennuri most happy is Prateek’s newfound willingness to often communicate with others.“He has become more social. One of the things about autism is that that socialization is impaired a lot in these kids. But the music therapy has changed him socially. His interaction with other adults has changed and improved tremendously,” she said.Smith often allows Prateek to decide the direction the session will go. Although she always comes with a lesson plan she knows how well he will learn depends a great deal on what his disposition is for the day.“With autism it’s more difficult to get them to communicate. It depends on what his mood is as to how the session will go,” she said.Smith begins most of her therapy sessions with Prateek by singing the hello song which not only supports one on one interaction but also encourages Prateek to look people in the eye when he is communicating with them.In her book Music Therapy for the Autistic Child, Juliette Alvin describes how music can be the connector between and autistic child and the outside world.“Many studies have been made all over the world on the way autistic children can listen to music with pleasure or interest and the kind of music which is successful,” she writes.“The listening process is a basic part in the building up of a musical relationship between the mysterious world of the child and the reality surrounding him. The surrounding play an important part in the sense of musical freedom we wish to give him, freedom to make noises, to shout, to move, to feel safe and not threatened,” she said.Alvin points out that while the kinds of freedom she describes may at first seem to make no positive demands on the autistic child, music does offer the direction and structure they often lack.The Bennuri’s reinforce the techniques used by Smith in the music therapy sessions by repeating them throughout the evening when the family shares time together.Bennuri said she and her husband would not hesitate to suggest music therapy to others. She said while it may not be the typical medicine that people are accustomed to, music therapy does work.“It may not be as cut and dry like when I give antibiotics for an ear infection and it clears it up but music does help. Music therapy definitely has helped us as parents of a disabled child,” she said.