The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56651   Message #3788896
Posted By: GUEST,Senoufou
06-May-16 - 02:52 AM
Thread Name: musicians with Asperger's Syndrome
Subject: RE: musicians with Asperger's Syndrome
My niece was diagnosed with Aspergers as a child, and is now in her twenties. As I understand it, one is 'on the spectrum', as there are varying degrees of autism, ranging from severely affected with major disabilities (needing full-time care) down to mildly affected (various problems with socialising, dislike of change, obsessions etc) which is Aspergers.

My niece reached Grade 7 in piano at the age of eleven. She has since played piano concertos with concert orchestras in public as a teenager, before she went to University. She can listen to any piece of complex music and reproduce it note-perfect on many instruments, but mainly the piano. As a child, she would sit for literally hours at the piano and play endlessly, until her mother almost dragged her away.
I might add, she is a brilliant mathematician. I've heard the two talents often go together.

I'm absolutely horrified at some of the early posts, years ago, on this thread (thankfully they didn't come back) Such ignorance and sneering beggar belief. There is no 'medication' which cures or moderates Aspergers, but severe cases may need some form of sedation in the event of a 'meltdown'.