Research indicates that music therapy can improve social skills in children with autism, however the researchers felt that more information was needed on the use of music therapy interventions to determine the impact of group music therapy. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a music therapy group intervention on eye gaze, joint attention, and initiation of communication in children with ASD. These three behaviors were chosen to be able to measure specific responses that fall into the category of “social behaviors.” Social skills demand the interplay of perceiving multiple sources of sensory stimuli, placing context to understand the intentions of others, formulating a response, and then…
Bullying is a serious issue facing youth today. Bullying can lead to problems with socialization, anger issues, and an increase in behavior problems. Bullying is defined as “repeated act of intimidation or attack involving an imbalance of power with the intention to intimidate or cause harm to the victim.” Shafer & Silverman looked into music therapy intervention for bullies and victims of bullying and reported their findings in the November 2013 issue of The Arts in Psychotherapy. This was one of the first articles regarding music therapy and its potential for helping bullies and their victims. Music therapy techniques can be applied in school settings and may be effective when…
Anyone who has interacted with typically-developing young children knows the benefits of imitating their actions. When a child realizes that someone else copied what she just did, she might look at the person in surprise, laugh, and do the action again to see if the same result will occur. The skills that are being supported here are attention, social interaction, and communication, which are important to a child’s development. Young children with autism have difficulty with social interactions, reciprocal communication, and joint attention. It has been observed that they also have undeveloped imitation skills. Sanefuji & Ohgami (2013) examined whether using a “being-imitated” strategy had developmental effects on the behavior…
Losing a loved one is hard. For an individual with intellectual disabilities (ID), manifestation may come in unusual behaviors. Since the advancement of medical science, life spans have increased, including those with ID. Deinstitutionalization, which took place in the 80’s, allowed individuals with ID to leave large institutions, and live with loved ones or in small group homes where long-lasting relationships form. Unusual behaviors, such as the inability to communicate their feelings or “acting out”, exhibited by an individual with ID cause concern for caregivers and therapists. Some caregivers may feel that since the individual with ID may not understand, they may not allow them to participate in the planning…
Joint attention is a skill that is learned at a young age and occurs when two people share a common focus on and interest in an object, event, or person due to one person alerting another. This skill can emerge as early as nine months of age and should be well-established by 18 months of age. Joint attention involves social and communication skills, and these cannot develop well without acquisition of joint attention. Children with autism have deficits in social and communication skills, and many speculate that an interruption in the development of joint attention in these children contributes to these deficits. Therefore, it is important to encourage the development…
LaGasse, A. B. (2014). Effects of a music therapy group intervention on enhancing social skills in children with autism. Journal of Music Therapy, 51(3), pp. 250-275. Once again, we find ourselves looking for research that supports the effectiveness of music therapy with individuals on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This article examines specifically at how music therapy can make a difference in social skills training. Dr. LaGasse, a well-known researcher in the field of music therapy and autism, was able to complete this research funded by the Flagler Flutz Research Fund sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association. Located at Colorado State University, Dr. LaGasse used research assistants, other music…
Hospice and palliative care aim to support patients’ quality of life by reducing physiological, psychological, social and spiritual distress and improving comfort. Music therapists working in hospice care facilitate a variety of active and passive therapeutic music experiences (including songwriting, improvisation, guided imagery and music, lyric analysis, singing, instrument playing, and music supported relaxation techniques) to address end of life needs. In a 2005 journal article titled “Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care: a Review of the Empirical Data,” Russell Hilliard reviewed 11 empirical studies from the hospice and palliative care music therapy literature. This blog post will share the outcomes of his analysis and explain the implications for…
Older adults with Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease may display challenging behaviors when confused or agitated. This can be associated with the diagnosis, new medications, or changes in the environment. If these behaviors are severe, temporary psychiatric hospitalization may be necessary. Vink, Et Al describes the benefits activities for these older adults in the article “The Effect of Music Therapy Compared with General Recreational Activities in Reducing Agitation in People with Dementia: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” These demonstrated behaviors may be verbal or physical and may include general confusion, anger, combating care, wandering, or agitation. While these symptoms are often managed with medications, non-invasive forms of care (such as organized activities…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT This article comes from the second journal produced by the American Music Therapy Association. Music Therapy Perspectives is the “clinical” journal for the practicing music therapist. According to their website, this journal is “Designed to appeal to a wide readership, both inside and outside the profession of music therapy” (www.musictherapy.org). Dr. Thompson has many years of experience with young children diagnosed with autism. Her focus of this article is to highlight the concept of “family-centered practice” which has proved to be very effective, especially in early intervention situations when a child has been diagnosed with special needs. The therapist helps the family with…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT Once again, we find ourselves looking for research that supports the effectiveness of music therapy with individuals on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This article examines specifically at how music therapy can make a difference in social skills training. Dr. LaGasse, a well-known researcher in the field of music therapy and autism, was able to complete this research funded by the Flagler Flutz Research Fund sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association. Located at Colorado State University, Dr. LaGasse used research assistants, other music therapists, teachers, and of course, the children and parents to assist her in completing this study. Without the cooperation…