Acting and Music
Many young people with Asperger's absolutely flourish when given the opportunity to become involved in theater and acting. Many children with Asperger's are naturally brilliant actors and adept mimics, known to entertain others with their dead-on impersonations of TV and cartoon characters. Why not build upon this talent? There is so much to acting that holds special appeal for certain kids:
You get to become someone other than who you are, which is attractive particularly if you have damaged self-esteem.
You never say the wrong thing because everything you need to say is already scripted for you.
If you are challenged in deciphering facial expressions and body language, you get a perfectly acceptable chance to practice understanding such nuances over and over again — it's called rehearsal.
You are collaborating with others to produce a work of quality.
There are social connections to be had with others who may be intrigued with or more accepting of others' differences.
If you're good at what you do, you get positive feedback from your peers or an audience (through applause).
A lot of young people with Asperger's already act every day through using “movie talk.” Movie talk (or TV talk) is a skill by which the person has artfully “lifted” lines of dialogue, facial expressions, and even body language from characters in favorite movies, television programs, or cartoon shows and “put it back out” with uncanny accuracy and with all the proper inflections. Many adults with Asperger's have “passed” in life by using movie talk to blend in fairly seamlessly. It is not something to discourage in your child but should be used to facilitate social interactions. The key is not to become the fictional character but to assume that character's most socially acceptable traits and make them your own until you feel more comfortable in your own skin. Some folks use movie talk to break the ice in conversation or to initiate an interaction using humor.
You probably recognized early on in your child's development how listening to her music — favored songs and melodies — was extremely important. Like acting, all of music is scripted as well. Music therapists know the terms “call” and “response” as they apply to the flow of music. In reading, singing, or playing music, there is a time when one is an active participant in the “conversation.” At this time, according to the script, you make your contribution to the song, whether it is through singing or playing an instrument. That's the call. The response comes when, according to the script, you are expected to remain silent and await the reply from one's communication partner(s). Your child may be absolutely passionate about music and performing music. You can use the concept of how music “works” as an analogy for how social conversation is supposed to flow.
