A child like Joe

Seven-year-old Joe has had two cornea transplants, is autistic and attends a special school. He finds social interaction difficult, struggling in group settings, and takes time to form relationships. But Joe has always enjoyed his music lessons, which help him to achieve and learn new things and inspire him to try in all areas of his life.

With AMBER’s help, Joe can now create his own rhythms and make up his own songs. He loves to listen to any musical instrument and will try to play them all. He has become quite an accomplished singer and particularly enjoys making up tunes on the keyboard and playing his drum. He really looks forward to his music lesson – it is the highlight of his week.

Being autistic as well as visually impaired impacts on the kind of music session Joe can have, but his music teacher has now found a routine that he really likes. Each week they explore a box full of untuned percussion intruments, which they play together while making up songs. Joe has a wonderful memory for lyrics and remembers all the verses to the songs he sings at his music lessons.