Music therapy helps a young man with developmental delays work on motor skills

One of the fun things working with special needs individuals is that they are a mirror of what you do.  I quickly find out the phrases that I say most because they start saying them.  I find out what I normally do at the end of a song because they start doing it before I can do it at the end of a song.  They also will follow my movements.

I was sitting at the piano with a young man with developmental disabilities.  He has some problems with sensory issues as well as problems with his motor skills.  Because of that, he moves very deliberately and slowly.  I am working on having him move through instrument playing a lot.  Then something fun and exciting happened when I was playing the piano with him. I tap my foot while playing the piano with out thinking about it.  He looks down at my leg while I am playing and then he starts tapping his foot in perfect rhythm while he is playing the piano with me.  We were really jamming together!