Savant
Last night on Australian Sixty Minutes they ran a story entitled Feel the Music. It concerned a number of children termed as musical savants. These children often have significant disabilities, including blindness and low IQ, however, their musical abilities are considered genius level. Similar mental abilities can be exhibited in art and in mathematics, whilst the child remains for all other intents and purposes mentally impaired. These types of stories have been on television many times before.
When we first realised that Aidan was significantly different, and that he is considered to have mental impairment, I often wondered if he would have any savant abilities. To that end, I used to take him to the Casino to see if he would do the Rain Man act with him as Dustin Hoffman and me as Tom Cruise. Ok, so that wouldn't have worked because we're father and son, and they were brothers. Ok Ok, I also never took him to the Casino, but perhaps if he does at all develop those type of abilities I will! You have to have a sense of humour about this kind of stuff, disability for fun and (my) profit.
Aidan has always shown musical ability. Of course, not to genius level, however, every song that comes on the car radio is considered his song, and he will sing along to it. He generally gets the tune right, if not the words. I used to play keyboards, and have a number of synthesisers, but Aidan hasn't really got into playing them. We have bought him his own keyboards, and although he bangs around on them, he hasn't displayed any of the traits of kids in the previously mentioned TV story, so I'm not going to get rich on that. Ultimately, this doesn't matter. He's a happy kid, and happy with his own music he creates.
Ciao for Now, Exploitive Angry Dad.
When we first realised that Aidan was significantly different, and that he is considered to have mental impairment, I often wondered if he would have any savant abilities. To that end, I used to take him to the Casino to see if he would do the Rain Man act with him as Dustin Hoffman and me as Tom Cruise. Ok, so that wouldn't have worked because we're father and son, and they were brothers. Ok Ok, I also never took him to the Casino, but perhaps if he does at all develop those type of abilities I will! You have to have a sense of humour about this kind of stuff, disability for fun and (my) profit.
Aidan has always shown musical ability. Of course, not to genius level, however, every song that comes on the car radio is considered his song, and he will sing along to it. He generally gets the tune right, if not the words. I used to play keyboards, and have a number of synthesisers, but Aidan hasn't really got into playing them. We have bought him his own keyboards, and although he bangs around on them, he hasn't displayed any of the traits of kids in the previously mentioned TV story, so I'm not going to get rich on that. Ultimately, this doesn't matter. He's a happy kid, and happy with his own music he creates.
Ciao for Now, Exploitive Angry Dad.
posted by Wes at 10:42 pm
3 Comments:
I agree with you. I think for every disability, there is a special talent. I used to write about children with disabilities for an education newspaper in the states. The spectrum of impairments and abilities is amazing!
Maybe we'll see your son on Sixty Minutes soon.
Lisa
Music is so good in so many ways.....encourage this....but I know you will :)
I seen that 60 minutes as well. It was VERY intersting. It made me depressed in a way because the children on there who flapped, look JUST like my sons when they flap, although my kids are WAY, way more high functioning. It made me sad because it reminded me that my kids so indeed have a disability. *sigh*
Anyway, on to your son. I say keep encouraging his musical gift, it may be a great stress reliver for him and a way for him to express himself even if he isn't a "muscial genius".
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