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My Autism Theme Song

Retro pink radioBy Cathy Jameson

I listen to quite a bit of music.  It accompanies me in the car and while I’m home.  It’s almost always on when I write.  Music gets me motivated, inspires me and relieves some of the anguish and anger I sometimes feel.  Studies have shown that music can help lower stress, improve memory and reduce physical pain and lowering anxiety.  It also has had a positive effect for those who suffer with depression, seizures and attention issues.  I’ve always appreciated music, and I’m glad to hear that it offers solace to those who have a difficult medical diagnosis. 

What does this have to do with autism?  I’m sure some of the conditions our children have can benefit from music including through Music Therapy.  I know that my son is calmer when he’s got his favorite songs playing in the background.  Ronan enjoys it when I sing to him too.  Sometimes I sing his favorite nursery rhymes while other times I make up silly lyrics as I go.  He stays engaged with me longer when I’m singing, and I relish every moment we have together. 

When I’ve got my own music on, I find the lyrics of the songs I tune into very suiting for where I am in life.  Songs I particularly like, and could easily refer to as my theme songs, are Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Muse’s Uprising.  I’ve been known to crank either one of those songs and lose myself in the words (while dancing in my kitchen).  My kids love to hear these particular songs, Ronan included.  When they hear them, they know that Mommy’s gearing up to get some important things done. 

My kids have a bit of the music bug in them, but I never realized how much music has touched Ronan’s siblings until just a few weeks ago.  That’s when my typical son said he wanted to sing the song Sara Bareilles’ Brave to Ronan.      How we’d love it if words would simply just fall out of Ronan’s mouth. 

Ronan has a song he chooses to listen to every now and then, too.  He plays Twenty One by the Cranberries on his iPad.  He listens to this line of the song, “Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone,” over and over again several times and for a few days in a row.  It makes me sad to hear him replay that part of the song.  Not every day is an easy day for that kid, though, so I give him the space and time he needs knowing when he’s ready he’ll invite me back in.  When he invites me back in, the music choices we both pick have more upbeat and encouraging lyrics.

The songs I’ve been playing these last few weeks aren’t my usual get-up-and-dance tunes.  They have more of a dark undertone.  Like Ronan, I go through phases wishing I could tell people to leave me alone.  Part of it is because someone told me recently that I sounded kind of angry about how things have gone for Ronan.  Well, I am kind of angry.  He’s had to endure a heck of a lot for a long time now.  The kid works his butt off making gains at a fraction of the pace that typical kids.  I don’t like the position he’s in nor how he got there.  I don’t like how hard this is for him or for me for that matter.  I hate that Ronan’s childhood has been destroyed and how his future doesn’t look so bright at the pace we’re going.  I’m allowed to feel upset and would expect to be given the chance to say so even if I’ve said it once or twice already.  I don’t spout anger without reason.  I offer it as a hard lesson learned and as a warning.  Call it righteous anger or just spitting mad; I say what needs to be said.  And then I play some music hoping to let go of the negative energy.

It isn’t easy letting go of the negative, especially after someone else recognizes and points out how sad and mopey I’ve become.  I don’t have a theme song for sad and mopey, and I’m not looking for one either.  What I’d rather have is the ability to move through this phase of continuous difficulties, of constant reminders and to find a happy place again.  I’ve tried to do that by turning to my music because music usually helps me work through difficult situations.  It’s always been a soothing outlet for me even when I’m down in the dumps.  But lately, I haven’t found any song, station or artist though that works.  Oddly, I instead prefer silence.  I seek quiet.  And I feel a great need to be completely still.  It isn’t my usual state to be so quiet and so still.  But silence is what my head needs and what my body craves. 

I’ll hopefully be back in my kitchen dancing again soon.  My kids like to join me when I dance.  I love it when they do.  Soon, I hope, when I remember that I can let go of some of this and live through the rest of it. 

 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.

Comments

Mama Bear

The Carmelites offer this for Sunday's Feast of the Epiphany. I thought of you and Ronan.
http://www.carmelites.net/daily-disconnect/sunday-january-5-2014the-epiphany-lord/

For me I need, crave silence and solitude in the midst of a rough patch. Once I've drunk deeply of both, I can return to the battle.

Much love and prayers to you.

Benedetta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9y4Pq7lXAw

But then I so like the Refusers on the oath that doctors are suppose to take.

Benedetta

Silence is very good. Thank you I enjoyed it.
Staying a strong man - was fantastic Bob Moffit - Thankyou for sharing.

Jim Thompson thank you for the three version of Smile while you are crying - You will need that song a lot -- hmmmm -- well the new DVD about "United States of Autism" called Washington a pit of vipers. Nothing more to explain.

As for me; I have spent my whole entire life in prayer and begging for God's mercy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FExIWex_vc

MelissaD

Oh Cathy I can so relate to this post. Music is my only therapy. Singing in the car helps me cheer up, just a bit. And we have the right to be angry. My son's childhood and his future were taken away as was your child's and it makes me livid. Here's hoping this is the year that your Ronan and my Z make great strides that we can sing at the top of our lungs about. Thank you for your stories each week, I look forward to them.

AutismGoAway

Annie Lennox: No more I love yous. language is leaving me in silence.

There should be a song about regression. if it were a hit maybe people would understand autism for the tragedy it is and give more to biomed research.

Not an MD

Music is very powerful, indeed, Cathy. I feel so much happier when I listen to music. My current theme song is "We are the Champions" by Queen. As the New Year begins, I am hopeful. I pray that it is a very positive year for all of us. One thing I do know for sure is that "we'll keep on fighting till the end." Those are powerful words, and we mustn't forget that we do have power.

Carolyn Flannery

Cathy, what a great story!
When my son first got diagnosed in 2003, I used to sing Blondies "One Way Or Another" with a revision:

One way or another, we're going to heal you,
getcha getch getcha back
One way. Or another, we're going to hear you . . gonna hear you singing

I made up a bunch of lyrics. And it really did help motivate me! It captured the determination with the hope with the refusal to give up . . .darn it this is making me cry, remembering the scariest days before I found generation rescue and gfcf and melatonin and ageofautism and autismbiomed and DAN conferences . . . all of which helped my son make tremendous progress . . :-)

Sylvia

I can relate to so much of what you say Cathy! Both Nick and I are HUGE music fans. The first request (OK, DEMAND) he makes in the morning is to turn on the ipod speaker dock in the kitchen. Music MUST be on in the car. NO exceptions. EVER. We have ipod docks through out the house, and they must be on if we are in those rooms. And he will also listen to songs on his ipad and ipod. Music is a tremendous outlet. It takes you to a different time and place. It is POWERFUL.

Jim Thompson

Cathy:

Here are three artists that cover “Smile.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGC-0j3HKBE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZvMJ188o3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh57sCPjtzw


One comment is that the song is “Uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time and in equal measure.”

Bob Moffitt

Kathy .. like you .. I find myself greatly moved by "music" .. especially the lyrics of songs .. that I find applicable to my grandson, my family .. our community .. our lives.

The title of this song is "STRONG" by Will Hoge .. though he sings the words "He's strong" throughout .. I find it just as easily to change the word to "She's strong" to include all the "warrior moms" that I know .. such as .. "everybody knows she's not just tough .. she's strong" .. or .. "everybody knows we're not just tough .. we're strong" to include our community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HItiJYwAPGQ

As the man sings .. "Ain't nothing going to knock US off the road WE'RE travelling on". NOTHING.

Susan

To me, anger is a healthy and appropriate response to having a kid with autism. It would be so much worse to be in denial about your feelings. What matters is not what your feelings are but what you do in response to them--and you're doing plenty of good. That's what anger is for: to make us translate a "negative" feeling into a "positive" action in the physical world. You've done that and then some. My hat's off to you once again for a great post.

david m burd

Cathy, you have a remarkable talent expressing yourself - thank you. An old clock radio I have has an audio feature that plays a recording of ocean surf sprinkled with seagull sounds and maybe distant seals barking - taking away my worldly cares.

best wishes for the coming year!

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