Cymatic help for autistic children
Various discussions are ongoing with autistic research and support centers.
Extensive discussions have taken place on the benefits of integrating interactive technologies with cymatics to allow total sensory immersion and control. A commission for Aldeburgh music saw seeper.com and flat-e.com (the creators of this site) design, develop and build an interactive cymatic installation in cooperation with school children. Discussions with a key autism center in the UK have lead to ongoing development of interactive cymatics in this context.
In addition the CymaScope has been exhibited at several science-based conferences in the USA and the UK and on a number of occasions we have been approached by autism therapists. The general consensus is that the visual feedback provided by a child seeing their own voice patterns will aid their acquisition of language. This hypothesis derives from the experiential aspects of CymaScope demonstrations in which, for example, classical music is made visible in real time. Hearing classical music without seeing it infrequently results in release of tears whereas hearing classical music while seeing it, in real time, frequently results in crying in adults. A brain mechanism, as yet not understood, is occurring in which an emotional response is triggered, we presume involving receipt of data in the visual cortex that is the equivalent of acoustic data being received via the ears and processed in the auditory cortex. These two sets of data apparently merge within the brain and, it is hypothesized, lay down new neural pathways. In the case of autistic children this may result in the acceleration of language development.
3 Comments
1 Frank Moore wrote:
Hello
I have on some occasions become interested in events where patterns are formed by vibrations. I have autism.
I do not know how this reseach has been done, and I would like to know about it if you can send me something.
My expierence of watching the patterns was like the expierence of satifaction from seeing beauty come out of a set of rules (vibrations, liquid etc).
It is the same for my interest in maths; satifaction from seeing patterns and results from rules in maths.
It is the same for many other interests that I have in science.
Though it must be made clear that this is not at all the only reason that I like science, this is only a small part of it.
FRANK
2 Pamela wrote:
I work with a non-verbal autistic boy - 7 years old. I have read quite a bit about the "plastic brain" and have wondered if there might be a way to use this knowledge through certain exercises and "...lay down new neural pathways." The idea of the CymaScope has me intrigued. How can I find out more about this? Is anyone in North America using it now as therapy? Please let me know what you can about this exciting discovery.
3 Evan Grant wrote:
Hi Pamela, can you find out more about the cymascope here: http://www.cymascope.com I believe there is work in the US with autism and certainly we are starting some soon in the UK. Keep us posted!