2019: Boy, four, sings first words and charms the web

By Erin Adler, with Photos by Jeff Wheeler
6/10/2019

When Daniel Brundidge began singing “Old Town Road” last week, his whole family stopped and stared. “This boy hasn’t said more than three words at a time since he was born,” said his mother. Daniel is the youngest of her four children, three of which are on the Autism Spectrum.

It was an undeniable breakthrough, and one that no one saw coming. Since beginning to sing, Daniel’s eye contact has improved, he has started playing with his siblings, and his speech has become easier to understand.

Ellie Wilson, executive director of the Autism Society of Minnesota, said that while everyone is different, combining words with music can be helpful to some people with autism because it provides a different way for the brain to process language.

“It’s not unheard of that [with] kids who show delayed development of speech, the thing that really flips the switch can be music,” she said. “Music can be an incredible tool.”

Daniel’s mother, Sheila Brundidge managed to record 10 seconds of his “breakout,” despite her shock and joy. The clip went viral, and even one of the song’s singers, Lil Nas X, responded by Tweet. The song’s other singer, Billy Ray Cyrus, retweeted the video, and the rest, as they say, is history.

There has been one tiny downside to Daniel’s new skills. “Old Town Road” played in the Brundidge household 47 times on Saturday morning … so far.