Hello, and welcome to my first blog. Thanks for taking the time to read it.
It has come to my attention that people are interested in my work. On this blog I will be posting about my experiences using music as a modality of treatment with children who are on the autism spectrum and adults with mental illness. I have seen and continue to see numerous cases where non-verbal children with autism begin to speak and adults with mental illness stay out the hospital by simply bringing music into their lives. I strongly advocate for the use of music to help in the treatment of numerous disabilities.
In addition to being a singer/songwriter, I am an occupational therapist (OT) who specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Mental Health. I guest lecture at Columbia University in NYC to Occupational Therapy students about autism and rehabilitation, have co-published two articles as a member of the American Association of Occupational Therapy (AOTA) School Mental Health Task Force, have lectured at the AOTA National Conference about my work, consult for the NYC Department of Education, and am a Senior Occupational Therapist for New York State Psychiatric Institute. I've been doing this work for over 10 years and have seen amazing cases of recovery.
So... lets start at the beginning. How did this connection between music and OT happen?
I got into occupational therapy school and almost decided not to go - only wanting to pursue a music career. In honor of my grandmother and that I was one of 36 chosen out of over 600, I gave it a shot.
After studying at least 3 hours a night in my Gross Anatomy course and still only getting a B (I am a bit of an overachiever I admit), I decided that studying that much did not help and took up guitar instead.
My first experience using music in my work was at a detox unit at a psychiatric hospital while doing my fieldwork as a student. I brought in my guitar and did a concert for the patients consisting of inspirational cover songs. I got a note from a patient that I would never see again, saying how much it inspired him to change his life for the better. I still have that note.
I worked with little boy in the 3rd who had autism. Classmates were putting paperclips in his ears and he did not say anything. He was non-verbal. We played eye contact games and he started to look at me. Then, using a guitar, I'd strum and he'd sing words. Eventually he began to talk on his own, starting with words we'd sing and write. I sat with him at the lunch table and helped him to talk to the other students in his class. They said, "wow, he talks!" He was "verbal", talking in 3 to 4 word sentences and was one of the most popular boys in his class by the end of the school year. He was able to raise his hand and verbally ask for help or let the teacher know if someone was bothering him. Sometimes he talked too much and got in trouble, just like his peers. He sang the graduation song. Most amazingly, he graduated into a regular class instead of a specialized class for children with autism.
I've brought my guitar with me everywhere I have worked since then, including a nursing home, numerous schools, mental health clinics, psychiatric wards, after school programs, and have organized numerous community performances for persons with disabilities including the NYC Autism Walk and the NYC NAMI Walk.
As a singer/songwriter I've drawn so much inspiration from these experiences. I am currently working on my my second album with producer Philip A. Jimenez at Gordo Studios in Huntington, LI.
My new single "Beautiful Girl", produced by Mike Rogers and released in 2010 was on the AC charts of New Music Weekly Magazine for over 30 weeks, prompting me to be nominated as Best New Artist and Best Female Artist of 2010.. http://www.jenniferrichman.com/
Thanks again for your interest and time... more to come.
Jennifer
P.S. If you are interested in this subject, I recommend reading Musicoplilia by Oliver Sacks.
Awesome book.
