During these past weeks, I have been going to Lorenzo's house 1-2 times a week. During most sessions, I usually spend half the class taking notes and observing Mario with Lorenzo and then the next half of the class I take charge and lead the class on my own while Mario watches me. By doing this, at the end of the class, Mario has observed how I've performed and then will send me an email with feedback on how I can improve my actions while working with Lorenzo. The most often questions that arise when I am completing certain activities with Lorenzo are usually how to perform when he's not in the best mood. When it comes to children or adults with autism and down syndrome, they usually are just as bright and attentive as a 'normal' born child but the problem is that they can't communicate their thoughts, which can sometimes be very frustrating for them when they are trying to say something we can't understand. Therefore, at times, Lorenzo can get frustrated and not want to do any of the activities and sometimes even throw things at the wall. This is what worried me most, and also what made me want to learn how to deal with these problems even more. After spending time with Mario, I realized that it simply takes patience and perseverance to deal with these problems. First of all, you can never say no to Lorenzo or even scream at him because this will just get him more mad. The key is to lay down with him, maybe even play some soft music, because the slow beat with automatically relax him, which is truly fascinating to watch; this shows the amazing effects of music therapy.
Overall, I can say I've truly grown a lot from spending time with Lorenzo because not only have I grown as person because it has taught me commitment, communication and purpose but more importantly, I have been lucky to witness the improvement of someone that doesn't have it as easy as most people. I am confident and ecstatic to say that Lorenzo's motor skills have improved incredibly as he is now able to play the piano with more precision and his communication skills are better than ever, as our conversations seem to be getting longer and longer. I definitely will be keeping in touch with Lorenzo and Mario and continuing with the idea of music therapy in my time with him because it has brought me so many benefits and to Lorenzo as well.
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