22/10/2025
For years I’ve watched parents share their neurodivergent children’s incredible ability to form and recognise patterns and for years I’d hoped to one day see my child do the same.
Yesterday that moment came, but not in the way I expected it to show up. On the way home from our very first music therapy session, I handed my daughter a Wiggles toy microphone with 4 buttons of songs that she loves to stim with. For the first time, I decided to actively listen to her play with the microphone.
I noticed she would hit the same button 3 times for a microsecond of the song before allowing another microsecond more of the song into her sequence.
She would then repeat this pattern, slowly allowing the song to build whilst occasionally hitting other buttons to let an alternative sound (like chimes) enter her sequence. She did this SEAMLESSLY and repeatedly. Like a seasoned pro! This was NOT her first rodeo. She was creating her own music and following a clear pattern on a toy she’s had for years… and I’d never even noticed.
The buttons on this toy was an accessible way for her to display her ability to build and recognise patterns in auditory information and create musical sequences of her own. A sign that music therapy was the right choice? I like to think so.
For me, this was an apt reminder not to expect my child’s strengths or abilities to mirror her neurodivergent peers (and to always presume competence, of course!) ✨ 🎶
