Flapping

 I have a student who loves music.

It’s not necessarily music CLASS that she loves.

It’s music in general.

And the flute.

She loves the flute.

And the violin.

She gets super excited when I get out the violin.

She doesn’t say many words, though.

Instead, she flaps her arms and says,

“Violin” or “Flute” or “Instruments”

And then pretends to play them.

 

On Tuesday, when she heard the flute play during “Stars and Stripes Forever,”

My student immediately went to “her” flute—

A real flute that I leave out just for her—

Picked it up and started to “play.”

 

When I got down the guitar,

My student flapped her arms, jumped up and down in excitement, and got right next to me while I played.

I was playing the first verse of “America The Beautiful.”

My student doesn’t sing.

So I gestured for her to strum.

I changed the chords.

She strummed either the beat or the rhythm of the song.

The other students in the class were amazed.

“She’s really good,” they said.

My student, oblivious to the compliments,

Continued to flap.

 

A few minutes later,

When doing the second verse of “America the Beautiful,”

I gestured for my student to play again.

She started to play but then said, “No!”

And took my hand and put it on the guitar.

She wanted ME to play so she could listen—

And flap.

 

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, challenges with verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize information.

 

Flapping is a self-stimulatory behavior (a stim) that children with autism do to calm themselves or regulate their emotional state when emotions are running high—out of excitement, happiness, anticipation, and joy—or from anxiety, frustration, and feeling overwhelmed.

 

My student flaps out of sheer happiness.

 

And I am so glad.

 

Dear God: You have made us all different. Thank you. Help us as we learn to accept, embrace, and honor our differences—even when they’re hard to understand. Amen.