My school grader cousin has been diagnosed to have autism.

Question

since he was diagnosed he has never responded to any social stimuli, especially at school. however, when the other kids were singing a song they had been practicing, he hummed the song to himself. does anyone have something to say about this? thanks.

Answer 1

If he has autism he can't comprehend words very well and when you don't know what they mean you don't know how to respond when spoken to.  He probably hummed along with the song because he recognized the rythm or something of that sort.  Some kids also gradually grow out of autism (to an extent).  They begin to have a social life but for example.  Say your cousin did something wrong and was being asked "Do you understand what you did wrong."

He may answer like some spoiled kid saying "No," "I did nothing wrong." "He hit me first." etc.

But this is just a result of the way he will most likely think due to autism.

Answer 2

I have worked with students with autism who are very musical, whether or not they interact well with their peers.  If your cousin responds to music, that can be a wonderful thing for him - it could be used to motivate him, help him learn, calm him down, and help him interact with others.

Think of it like this: social interactions are a kind of language that most of us learn naturally.  Music is just another kind of language - it could be a way for him to communicate.  On the other hand, even if he does respond well to music, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be a miracle cure or anything like that.  But it's something to explore!

Answer 3

He doesn't respond to social stimuli because it's like he's blind to it. however, things that directly stimulate the senses like music, can really touch someone with autism. Is he high functioning? Because I can tell you more if he is. (ie. really interested in math, music, moving parts, or even bus routes.)