Understanding the Mind of a Student with Autism in Music Class

The present study is examining the use of music by teachers of students in the Autism Spectrum as an instructional tool in the classroom. In order to explore teachers’ routines concerning the use of music, two days of classroom observation were held, followed by five teacher interviews. The participants were working in special schools in the area of Bristol in the UK. The findings suggest that music is mainly used when transitioning from one activity to the other, as well as during group sessions. Music was used in order to teach different subjects to students with autism, as teachers believed that they are more understandable when taught through music. It was also found that music relaxes students with autism and calms them down. Moreover, it was found that it is of high importance for music to be implemented as a part of the daily routines when working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Additionally, teachers were asked about their beliefs concerning the generalization of the positive outcomes that music might have in other contexts and times of the day. It was found that this is a rather complex issue, as they felt that under certain circumstances it would be possible, while is some other it might be quite challenging. Nevertheless, it was supported that such transfer would be helpful. In addition to the above, the present study also identified some challenges in the use of music with individuals with autism. Those refer to common ideas between the teachers that suggest that music might sometimes be a barrier, as, when it stops or when the students do not like the song, they might get upset. The present study also acknowledges some limitations of the research undertaken. Ideas for future research are discussed, in order for the above issues to be explored further.

2016

Music has the innate potential to reach all parts of the brain, stimulates certain brain areas which are not achievable through other modalities. Music Therapy (MT) is being used for more than a century to treat individuals who needs personalized care. MT optimizes motor, speech and language responsibilities of the brain and improves cognitive performance. Pervasive developmentdisorder (PDD) is a multifaceted, neuro developmental disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes under PDD, which is defined by deficiencies in three principal spheres: social connection with others, communicative and normal movement skills. The conventional imaging studies illustrate reduced brain area connectivity in people with ASD, involving selected parts of the brain cortex. People with ASD express much interest in musical activities which engages the brain network areas and improves communication and social skills.The main objective of this review is to analyze the potential role of MT in treating the neurological conditions, particularly ASD. Evidence based studies have reported the extensive therapeutic application of music on various part of the brain in a nonverbal child with autism through hearing or making music.Hence we hypothesized that MT intervention can improve the communication capacity in people with ASD, than customary neurorestoration therapy alone.

Understanding emotions is fundamental to our ability to navigate the complex world of human social interaction. Individualswith autism spectrum disorders(ASD) experience difficultieswith the communication and understanding of emotions within the social domain. Their ability to interpret other people’s nonverbal, facial, and bodily expressions of emotion is strongly curtailed. However, there is evidence to suggest that many individuals with ASD show a strong and early preference for music and are able to understand simple and complex musical emotions in childhood and adulthood. The dissociation between emotion recognition abilities in musical and social domains in individuals with ASD provides us with the opportunity to consider the nature of emotion processing difficulties characterizing this disorder. There has recently been a surge of interest in musical abilities in individuals with ASD, and this has motivated new behavioral and neuroimaging studies.Here, we review this new work.We conclude by providing some questions for future directions.

2017

This study involved the development of a 12-month music therapy program addressing joint attention deficits for children 1 to 6 years old diagnosed with or suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder. As joint attention plays a key role in the development of social communicative skills such as language and theory of mind, its deficit can have a great impact on the life of children diagnosed with autism. Although many interventions have been developed to address this deficit in fields such as psycho-education and education, little is available in the field of music therapy. Moreover, of those interventions developed in music therapy, few involved external settings, such as homes and schools. This study used an intervention research methodology to provide appropriate guidelines for intervention with children with autism to address joint attention deficits. These guidelines include such elements as goals and objectives, including addressing joint attention responses and initiations, t...

WCCL Clinical Musicianship Research Committee, 2023

The study was designed to study the effects of Music Therapy on children diagnosed with ASD. It was purely experimental in nature and the clinical musician and project-director along with the other members of the team had the freedom to make changes that were deemed appropriate in that given circumstance. Some of the highlights of the project were: - Experiencing the positive connections between music, healing & autism. - Opening channels of communication through an alternative medium of drumming & singing. - Mapping every child’s response before, during & after the sessions has shown the impact of music therapy on social communication, social interaction & creativity. - Studies of individual cases (Sahil) have shown the effect of DCT in calming the mind and controlling hyperactive behaviour - Study indicates that CM techniques are an excellent medium for mood regulation, language skills and motor movements. - Written documentation & Video Recording of all significant milestones of the children. - The children have shown willingness to connect to new forms of expression. Limitations of the project: The project was time bound to twelve months with one session per week. Some children could not attend all 22 sessions which had an impact on their results and their progress. As in any school situation, there were absenteeism and dropouts amongst children, thereby disrupting the flow of sessions. The impact of changes in medication or addition of other therapy interventions in home environment on the results of the music therapy sessions and outcome could not be studied in detail.

2017

This study combined the Holistic Music Educational Approach for Young Children (HMEAYC) and Figurenotes' music teaching methods. The venue was a nonprofit early intervention organization and private preschool. Purposive sampling was used to select six children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and six without ASD around the age of 40-63 months, and the course arrangement was a 40-minute class each week for 12 weeks. This study is based on ethical considerations, and all parents of children participating in the course fully understand and sign the informed consent. This study demonstrated that the Figurenotes teaching method could improve the learning habits and learning performance of without ASD children. In addition, the intervention of the HMEAYC teaching method can improve the academic behavior of both ASD and without ASD children, especially for ASD children, it has more significant benefits on learning habits.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2000

International Journal of Educational Research Review, 2020

Children with autism may have difficulties in communicating with others, developing social relationships and maintaining emotional reciprocity. Children’s active involvement with musical activities may create the conditions for enhanced moments of learning and communication and it may promote children’s sensory-motor abilities and their cognitive and emotional skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the views of early childhood educators on the use of music as a tool for enhancing students’ with autism social skills. Participants were 94 early childhood educators, working at Greek public schools. The results were positive regarding the participants’ views on the use of music as an important, instructional tool in the classroom that holds the potential to promote social and emotional growth of young children with autism. Implication of the study pinpoint to additional research on the topic and to professional development of early childhood educators on the use of music.