When Opera Meets Autism

A neuropsychologist and opera singer teamed up to create a form of vocal training for people on the autism spectrum.

People with disabilities like autism often struggle to find welcoming and meaningful jobs. Companies that place workers with disabilities in jobs that fit their skills will be well-positioned to succeed in the 21st century.

Despite popular belief, white kids aren't the only ones on the spectrum of autism research. In an effort to bridge these gaps, many research teams are reaching out to minority groups in ways that are more attuned to culture, language, and community.

A pilot program on the City University of New York's five campuses provides rare support, through group sessions and workshops, to students who are both on the autism spectrum and low-income.

Five past teachers take their knowledge, after years of being educators, to make greater movements and developments in the educational sphere.

Individuals who have Aspergers Syndrome and autism experience difficulty in conforming to workplace norms and find themselves unemployed. Specialisterne, a Danish company, has opened employment opportunities for them. Sixty countries around the world have sought to adopt the company model.

It is very difficult for people with disabilities to find work. Specialisterne is a Danish company that trains high-functioning autistic employees for IT jobs and partners with IT companies to get them hired by altering the interview process.

The Jaipur Limb organization based in India has developed prostheses at low cost, and services are free for the poor. The organization’s efforts have recently spread to other countries with impoverished people. Jaipur Limb reaches patients through branch clinics, traveling workshops, and limb camps in cities around the world.

Little Kids Rock has helped to revitalize and broaden music education in more than a thousand schools by encouraging children to learn to play popular music, form bands and compose their own songs. Despite a backlash from traditionalists, teaching children to play music they love doesn’t “dumb down” music education—it enriches it.

Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than igniting their imagination? A program that taps into students’ passion for pop and rock is revitalizing music education in many schools.