| Autism digest magazine
Can you point your finger and do the twist? Do you know how to do the pirate dance? Do you find yourself singing "Lets go riding in the big red car" every time you get out your keys? If so, you are a Wiggles parent. And if you are a Wiggles parent of a child with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder then you may also have discovered that singing songs about fruit salad, hot potatoes and crunchy-munchy honey cakes actually help with your child's development. The children's entertainers known as The Wiggles, comprised of Australians Greg Page, Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Anthony Field, have long been a staple in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world and are finally starting to gain popularity in the United States with their catchy tunes and energetic dances. At first glance there is nothing to suggest any reason why their entertainment should help the development of children with PDD, yet it does. I know because I saw the effect The Wiggles had on my own son, who was diagnosed with PDD/NOS at three years old. He's now almost five, and I firmly believe that watching their videos has helped him in his recovery. He's a big fan of The Wiggles; they brought him out in ways that other games and shows didn't. His motor skills improved as he danced along with the songs, and I can't even begin to describe the joy it was to me to see my non-verbal child starting to sing along to songs like 'Rock-a-bye Your Bear' and 'The Captain's Magic Buttons'. I've long been extolling the virtues of the Wiggles and telling anyone who would listen how much they had helped my son. Recently I discovered that mine is not the only voice singing the Wiggles' praises. Sharon's son was 4 years old when they discovered the Wiggles. "Zechariah would say some words, but mostly played quietly by himself. One day when we were visiting my grandmother she put in a video and on the beginning of that video was a trailer for The Wiggles, whom we had never heard of. The song was 'Dancing With Wags the Dog.' When the song ended, Zechariah turned around, looked right at me (which he seldom did) and said, 'Want to do it again?'-it was his first sentence ever!" Cheryl and her son are also fans, and she firmly believes that the Wiggles have played no small part in the development of her son, Michael. "I could go on and on about the Wiggles as I am so impressed with them." she said. "Michael's vocabulary has improved, his imagination is coming alive and he's learning that he can get what he wants (usually) by putting words together to ask for it." Rhonda says her son Dalton's development has taken off in the past year since he's been introduced to them, and for the first time he expressed an interest in his upcoming birthday, by asking for a Wiggles party. "For years I'd waited for his own words and thoughts and now he's doing that," she said, "and it's all thanks to The Wiggles." Although three of the members of the band were originally teachers, the songs aren't terribly educational, all things considered. Yet they have an unerring instinct as to what pleases children - any and all children, it seems. Sharon says, "Part of the appeal may be because of the music. Often autistic children react to music when they won't react to anything else. But the music isn't "Mother Goose-ish", which may challenge them. Also, they're playful and non-threatening. I've noticed myself getting 'picked up' and encouraged by them; why wouldn't children react the same way?" Erin's three children, including her autistic son Sam, are all fans of The Wiggles. She believes part of their appeal is that they are consistent in their looks and actions. "Autistic children don't handle change very well," she said, "and it's comfortable for them to know that Greg will always wear yellow and Jeff will always fall asleep." Adds Cheryl, "For autistic children, it helps that everything they do is so visual. When they sing 'shake your oobie-doobie hips, nod your oobie-doobie head...' they're shaking their hips and nodding their heads." There may not be any real medical or psychological reason why songs like "Shakey-Shakey", or "The Wiggly Polka" draw out children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, but those of us who have seen it work are just grateful that it does. We have seen silent children break into song, children without imagination skills pretending to be Henry the Octopus; children who can't interact dancing along with Dorothy the Dinosaur. The Wiggles do more than entertain - they offer encouragement and hope. As Heather, mother of Josh, said after taking him to a Wiggles concert, "I was in tears for the first part of the show because he was just like any other kid in the audience. No head-banging or tantrums, no hitting or biting just Josh enjoying the show." Visit the Wiggles at http://www.thewiggles.com.au/ |
 |