Music Therapy and Autism
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Ranking : 
Type(s) : Standard, Psychotherapeutic
Introduction
Music therapy uses singing, live music making and/or composition techniques to encourage people to engage in spontaneous and creative musical activities.
Music therapy is based on the idea that all individuals have the ability to respond to music and sound and that this can lead to positive changes in behaviour and emotional well being.
The music therapist and client use a variety of percussion or tuned instruments, or their voices, to develop shared and interactive musical activities.
The client does not need musical skills to benefit from music therapy but the music therapist does need a high level of musical and therapeutic skill.
Music therapy is sometimes used alongside other therapies, for example dance therapy and in the creation of musical social stories.
Opinion
There is a limited amount of low quality research evidence which suggests that music therapy may be helpful in improving social and communication skills in some children and adolescents with autism.
There is a need for more studies on music therapy – with better design and larger samples. There is also a need for studies which examine whether or not music therapy works in real clinical settings and whether the effects are long lasting.
Further information
Please see the Advanced version of this page for more information about this intervention, including relevant research studies and details of how ranked them.
Disclaimer
Please read our Disclaimer about this intervention.
Last Updated : 20/04/2013 Back to Top
