Why Does Music Therapy Help in Autism? Research Paper Example

Introduction

Autism is a developmental disability that first appears in early childhood, and impacts children’s communication and social skills (Autism Society of America). Further, autism is considered to be a complex spectrum disorder that manifests various sets of behaviors (Coast Music Society, para 1). Hardy and LaGasse (1) confirms that using rhythm and music therapy on children who suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD)  has several benefits. The below essay will focus on related research and studies in order to reveal the relationship between the severity of autism symptoms and music therapy. The author of the current research will also attempt to investigate which methods of music therapy were proven the most beneficial for autistic children.

The Benefits of Music Therapy for Autistic Patients

According to Malczewski’s review of related literature, music therapy’s benefits are the most visible in the communication and interaction area of child development. As the author confirms, autism results in the delayed or disturbed development of joint attention. The term “joint attention” is a “cluster of behaviours serving to assist an individual in nonverbal communication with another person” (Malczewski, 1). Music therapy designed for preschool aged children, according to research studies is able to address the deficits in joint attention, improve communication skills, and is proven to be more effective than play therapy (Malczewski, 2).

Focusing on the impact of rhythm in autism therapy, Hardy and LaGasse found that “the distributed nature of music in the brain allows preservation of musical functions despite the loss of a related non-musical function”. All aspects of music, such as dynamics, tempo, and melodies have been individually studied by researchers, and the conclusion that “auditory rhythmic cueing” is the most effective aspect of music therapy. Further, related to other illnesses and disabilities, such as Parkinsons disease, the benefits of rhythmic synchronization were proven to be effective. Rhythmic movement’s positive impact on rehabilitation is widely documented, therefore, it is believed to be beneficial for patients with autism spectrum disorders (Hardy and LaGasse, 3). Based on the research concluded by the authors, “The application of rhythm may serve to facilitate sensorimotor synchronization in autism, but based on other implicated deficits, it may contribute not only to gross motor functioning, but also related perceptual motor responses” (Hardy and LaGasse, 4). The above finding indicates that implementing rhythmic music therapy in the treatment and rehabilitation plan of autistic individuals would help them with not only connecting with others, but sensory motor skills development as well.

Wigram and Gold created a review of research literature related to treating autistic spectrum disorder through music therapy. Focusing on autistic patients’ limitations of verbal and non-verbal communication abilities, the authors found that music therapy is able to improve reciprocal interaction, social skills development, and attention improvement. The goals listed above should be  – and often are  – in the focus of autism-related therapies. There is, however, one particular finding of the research that should be noted here, in order to support autism-related research: “Music therapy assessment can identify limitations and weaknesses in children, as well as strengths and potential” (Wigram and Gold, 535). Further, the authors focused on the unstructured methods to introduce music and rhythm in therapy of autistic patients. Improvisation was found to be improving creativity, cognitive skills, structured thinking, and relationship-building (Geretsegger, Holck, and Gold).

The American Music Therapy Association’s research review of music therapy; its use, impact, benefits, and variations provides a comprehensive overview of related research and theories. One of the questions asked by the authors is “how can music therapy improve the life of individual autistic patients?”. Based on related research, the authors find that the majority of patients, independent on the severity of their disability respond positively to music therapy. The authors note that music is one of the most basic responses of humans to the environment around them (The American Music Therapy Association, 1). The main findings of the authors is that music therapy helps children with autism spectrum disorders to express their emotions, preferences, and develop connections with peers. Further, music therapy is able to stimulate different areas of the brain, resulting in improvements in various development areas, such as speech, cognitive functioning, and multi-sensory skills, However, therapies should be focusing on patients’ strengths and build upon them, in order to assess individual needs and nurture talent.

Srinivasan and Bhat examined the elements of music therapy in relation with their impact on different patients’ condition who have ASD symptoms. The comprehensive research provides a framework for therapists and researchers, as well as health care professionals to fully utilize music therapy in intervention plans.

Based on the authors’ theory, the main elements of music therapy are: listening, singing, music making, and rhythmic movements. These elements are designed to support autistic patients in developing their communication, social-emotional, motor, sensory-perceptual, and behavioral skills (Srinivasan and Bhat, 3). The graphic representation of the framework also concludes that there is a close relationship between positive emotions and improved behavior, as well as joint action and bonding.

While autism research mainly focuses on the social and communication deficits of patients (Hardy and LaGasse, 6), it also impacts individuals’ motor and motion skills, therefore, the impact of music therapy on various skills and development areas need to be examined in detail. The review of literature and research by Srinivasan and Bhat shows that applying music therapy has multiple benefits for patients. As the authors (Srinivasan and Bhat, 2) confirm, only a “few studies used musical experiences to facilitate social- emotional and behavioral outcomes in ASDs” and none examined the benefits of passive or active music based interventions on motor performance. Therefore, in order to reveal the connection between every area of patient outcomes and music therapy, it is important to list the potential benefits of introducing this approach in rehabilitation. The below list, based on the research completed by Srinivasan and Bhat will attempt to cover all the positive aspects of music therapy on autistic spectrum disorder.

Language and communication

Singing and chanting, organized music making clearly improves communication in group setting. As pretend play therapy is believed to be less effective in developing language and communication skills (Malczewski, 1), interaction during creating music is proven to improve language skills. The authors explain this effect by the fact that music and language are closely related, and both are based on acoustic information processing (Srinivasan and Bhat, 4). Both language and music have a similar level of complexity. It is,  however, important to note that active music therapies (singing and music making, instead of listening) were more effective in improving language skills. Further, based on the similarities between the structure of language and music,  it can help individuals hear the differences in the pitch of speech, as well as in music. This would help autistic individuals who cannot read facial expressions communicate better.

Socio-emotional development and behavior

Group setting music therapy, in particular, is believed to improve non-verbal interaction with peers, as well as behavior due to the positive emotions related to making music and achieving goals as a group. The impact of music therapy on emotional and social skills is described by Srinivasan and Bhat  (4) as follows: “While engaging in musical games, children will begin by imitating and synchronizing the actions of a social partner; however, gradually they will develop an under- standing of their partner’s intentions and emotions”. Further, this type of music therapy can improve empathy in children with ASD, which is considered one of the main impairment of autistic individuals. It is, however, important that music in therapy is socially embedded, and encourages working together, as well as interacting with peers.

Motor skills development

The greatest impact on ACD patients’ motor skills development is found to be related to therapies that involve whole body rhythmic actions, instead of simply listening.

Srinivasan and Bhat’s research concludes that the use of simple rhythmic instruments is beneficial for coordination, fine and gross motor movement improvement, as well as cognitive development. Through rhythmic games, children understand the cause-action relationship between the movement of their body and the sound made. They would also understand how simple it is to make adjustments and improvements. This way, their motivation can be increased. Some of the methods used in music therapy, such as the Kodaly method, mentioned by Srinivasan and Bhat (5) have been proven to be effective in improving not only cognitive skills and memory, association, but also motor movements as well.

Music therapy approaches in practice

Srinivasan and Bhat (7) lists various music therapy approaches that focus on various areas of development. The auditory motor mapping technique and melodic intonation therapy are designed to positively influence children’s and ASD adults’ communication and language skills. They are known to be effective in cases when delayed language development is present, or the use of speech is impaired. Rhythm therapy and improvisational music therapy are targeting social communication and emotional skills, utilizing eye contact, joint attention, and auditory processing. One passive therapy is listed by the authors: sound therapies designed for listening to music. This therapy is found to be effective for improving sound sensitivity, comprehension, listening, and behavioral compliance skills, however, there is insufficient evidence related to the effectiveness of this method.

Recommendations for music therapy settings

According to Srinivasan and Bhat (8), the effectiveness of music therapy intervention among autistic patients greatly depends on the setting and structure of the therapy. The main recommendations of the authors focus on the structure, environment, instructional methods, repetition patterns, and the types of interaction used during the therapy. The timing and environment needs to be familiar and predictable, and visual cues would help patients engage. Verbal instructions should be short and simple, considering the language skills of participants. Combining verbal instructions with visual ones would benefit the quality of communication in group and individual setting as well. Positive reinforcement through stickers and rewards is likely to improve patients’ motivation. Further, the complexity of tasks needs to be varied, and free music making exercises should be added to the program, in order to allow children to reflect on what they experienced and engage with music their own way.

Conclusion

Based on the above review of related literature and research, it is evident that music therapy is able to positively impact multiple areas of child development, and can be used to help improving various skills of patients with ASD. However, due to the complexity of therapies and the various methods utilized, there is a need for further large scale research that focuses not only individual therapies, but also compares the effectiveness of various intervention methods, settings, and communication patterns. This way, therapists would benefit from a comprehensive guideline that addresses various aspects of therapy, such as target group, development area, and goal. As it has been seen, there is promising evidence based on empirical studies that confirms the positive correlation between participation in music and rhythmic therapy and development of skills. Finally, the research of rhythmic music therapy needs to be expanded in order to make interventions more effective. Therapists and researchers would also benefit from understanding the methods of assessing various skills and identifying areas of development for individual patients.

Works Cited

Autism Society of America “About Autism” n.d. Web. <http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/>

Coast Music Therapy. “Music and Autism Research”  2015. Web. <http://www.coastmusictherapy.com/how-music-helps/autism-research/>

Geretsegger, Monika, Ulla Holck, and Christian Gold. “Randomised controlled trial of improvisational music therapy’s effectiveness for children with autism spectrum disorders (TIME-A): study protocol.” BMC pediatrics 12.1 (2012): 2.

Hardy, Michelle W., and A. Blythe LaGasse. “Rhythm, movement, and autism: using rhythmic rehabilitation research as a model for autism.”Frontiers in integrative neuroscience 7 (2013).

Malczewski, P. Critical Review: What is the Impact of Music Therapy on the Joint Attention Skills of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder? 2010. Web.

Srinivasan, Sudha M., and Anjana N. Bhat. “A Review of ‘music and Movement’ Therapies for Children with Autism: Embodied Interventions for Multisystem Development.” Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 7 (2013): 22.PMC. Web. 16 May 2015.

Wigram, Tony, and Christian Gold. “Music therapy in the assessment and treatment of autistic spectrum disorder: clinical application and research evidence.”Child: care, health and development 32.5 (2006): 535-542.