Connecting to the Autistic Child

In this premier episode of EdTechChat Radio the teachers and edtech integrators explore the challenges of bridging the gap between school IT staff, tech integrators, classroom teachers and students. Tom Murray serves as the Director of Technology and Cyber Education for the Quakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pa. Tom is a former middle school assistant and elementary school principal (@thomascmurray). Sharon Plante is Director of Technology at Eagle Hill-Southport in Southport, CT (@iplante). Alex J Podchaski serves as the Director of Technology at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, NJ (@ajpodchaski). Susan M. Bearden is the Director of Information Technology at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, FL(@s_bearden)

For our guests in this segment, their music is all about the message. Their aim is to deliver powerful positive messages to children about the world and the possibilities it holds. Tune in and hear how they shape and deliver their messages with music.

Whether we are talking about protecting wildlife, ocean life, forests, the water cycle or ecosystems, our guest has developed engaging ways to teach children about our planet through music.

The term "The Mozart Effect" was first coined by Alfred A. Tomatis who used Mozart's music as the listening stimulus in his work attempting to cure a variety of disorders. The approach has been popularized in a book by Don Campbell, and is based on an experiment published in Nature suggesting that listening to Mozart temporarily boosted students' IQ by 8 to 9 points.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a bestselling 1989 children's book drawn and written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, The book is notable for its rhyming structure which is reminiscent of the jazz vocal improvisation technique known as scat singing. The book has been credited with helping many young children learn to read and in this segment we interview the author about the music reading connection.

We hear it all the time, "you need to sit still and pay attention." What is a teacher to do with children who either won't or can't sit still? The answer begins with accepting that students can move and learn and that many learn better when the do.

Music has been proven to be an effective tool when working with children with autism. Though no two children will respond the same, it is clear that understanding how and when to use music with autistic children is essential.

Music is a universal language that can quickly bridge communication barriers and support developing literacy and fluency in a new language. This segment shares insights for using music to teach English as a second language.

Whether you are planning a student event, parent events, or staff events music can play a very significant role. This segment explores how music can be used to connect people, and make your education event more memorable, meaningful and effective.

Our guest says that musical lyrics provide wonderful teachable moments for children. In addition, because music activates emotions, music can teach values in a most engaging and memorable way.