Seablue, I see lots of good for my DS (8, Asperger's) from music. He sings in a choir and dabbles nicely in piano; we will pick up an instrument more seriously in a year or two.
Choir is a good social activity. Performing also means he has to self-monitor (ie, is he singing loudly enough or too loudly; is he keeping his body where it is supposed to be; is he wiggling too much). That self-monitoring practice is worth a LOT to us.
There is also a sense of responsibility to the group that is really nice. For our kid, choir is also an area where he can feel he's contributing something to a greater good. He's good at it, it's fun, he loves performing, and it makes him feel he's accomplished something that benefits others.
I don't know what it's doing for his processing (speed or otherwise); but I think it's wholly a great thing to have in our lives.
DeeDee
