A student-created music program helps autistic youth build confidence and communication skills.

By Caitlin Crawshaw

For someone with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), communicating can be an enormous obstacle and social norms a challenge to decipher. The neurological disease affects one in 150 Canadians, but remains a mystery for scientists and affected families alike. What researchers have found is that music can help some autistic children communicate and adapt socially.

Even at 15, Raymond Ko was already a leader in his school’s student council and was very active in his community. While researching local charities for his school to support, he stumbled across research papers indicating that music could help autistic children.

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