Effects of Music Therapy on Autistic Patients

The Effects of Music Therapy on Autistic Patients

Yadeliz A. Morales-Rosa
Global Studies and World Languages Academy

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Table of Contents
Introduction..3
Limitations of study.5
Methodology6
Literature review..7
Research:

Music Therapy improves behavior10

Music Therapy improves communication.12
Music Therapy encourages social interactions..14
Pairing music with actions and improving motor sections of the brain15

Conclusion.17
Abstract..19
Citations20

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Introduction
Imagine being trapped in your own mind, not being able to communicate properly, only being
able to interpret language literally and having senses that are unbalanced. For example, a bunch
of nails falling on the floor would sound like a thousand nails falling on the floor, a short and
simplified instruction would seem extremely vague, meltdowns happen when things are way too
overwhelming, and getting treated differently by people is expected. This sounds like a living
nightmare but its actually a few of the many things an autistic person has to deal with every day.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that typically appears
during the first three years of life and affects a persons ability to communicate and interact with
others (Autism Society, n.d.). Music helps an autistic person escape their living nightmare with
pleasing sounds and lyrics. The lyrics of a song can teach the autistic patient phrases that can be
used in a conversation or they can empower the patient by allowing them to make u their own
additional lyrics to the song as the music therapist is singing with them. Music Therapy improves
behavior, communication, and encourages social interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD) patients by pairing music with actions and connecting the auditory and motor sections of
the brain. Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to
accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional
who has completed an approved music therapy program (American Music Therapy Association
[AMTA], n.d.). The music therapist analyzes the profile of the patient and creates a session plan
based on the strengths and weaknesses of the autistic patient. There are skeptics who dont
understand how listening to and making music helps with behavior and communication
problems. The activities done in a music therapy session are modified to the patients needs. The
activities can be in groups or individual with just the music therapist and the patient. Music

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therapists are professionals who know how to apply music to the patients needs. Music is fun
and motivating which is what an autistic patient needs to overcome their weaknesses. It provides
opportunities for success after repeated practices and it would feel like a fun activity or game for
the patient but its actually the music therapists lesson plan to help the patient with
communication, social interactions, or behavior.

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Limitations of Study
I only had a few months to do my research and write a paper on it. If I had more time to do my
research, this paper wouldve been more detailed. Another limitation would be that there is a bias
in this research paper. Im a musician myself and music is one of the most important things in
my life. I already think that music is the most amazing thing ever and whoever may disagree can
stick to their opinion but I will always think they are wrong for not believing in the power of
music. My brother has mild autism so Im already passionate about this subject. Music is the
only thing in my opinion that is helping him overcome his weaknesses. Im a student in high
school so I couldnt travel far away to different places to do more research because have school
to attend to. All I had available to me, considering the time I was given, was the library and
technology (computer and internet) to do my research.

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Methodology
I went to my schools library and local libraries to read books on my research topic. I also
observed the affects music has on my brother. I observed him because he has autism and I
thought it would be perfect to get information from him because my research is about autistic
individuals like him. I also used online sources to learn more about the effects of music therapy
on autistic patients.

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Literature Review
The sources that I have found to do my research are about the same topic but have different
focuses. The focuses I have found on this topic, the effects of music therapy on Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD) patients, are behavior improvement, communication improvement, encouraged
social interactions, and questioning of music therapy and its credibility. Music therapy has been
questioned for its effectiveness since the time it was being experimented on patients with varying
disabilities. Although scientists have proven that music therapy really does affect the brain and
body in positive ways, especially with patients who have a disability. Music therapy is currently
being used to help patients who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with social interactions,
motor, and cognitive skills. Autism Speaks, an organization that supports the Autism community,
has done research on the use of music therapy on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients. The
research that Autism Speaks has done on this topic related to my research because Autism
Speaks has research on music therapy being used on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients
and my research is about the effects music therapy has on these patients. The research from
Autism Speaks helps me back up my research. The research that I found from the American
Music Therapy Association, Autism Speaks, and Autism Society all show that music therapy
does have positive effects on patients with Autism Spectrum (ASD) disorder. They will help me
explain the impact that music therapy has on autistic patients. Music therapy is perfect for
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) because music encourages social interactions, is adaptable to
people of all abilities, is multi-modal, and engages us across multiple domains. It provides
opportunities for success and music therapy is adaptable to many autism treatment modalities.
Music is fun and motivating which is what these patients need to overcome their weaknesses.
Im also using a book called The Mozart effect: Tapping the power of music to heal the body,

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strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit. It will help me back up my research with an
example of how music can affect not only the mind but the body, which links to how music
therapy improves behavior both physically and mentally in autism patients. This book not only
will provide me with a strong example but with scientific facts about music therapy and the uses
of it. I would like to back up my research with science because some eyebrows are raised at the
idea that music therapy works and it helps people with and without a disability. Music therapy
can help anyone with any issues they have. I understand why some people question music
therapy because almost everyone listens to music on a regular basis so why pay a visit to a music
therapist to just play some instruments, sing songs, and share a few laughs. Some people dont
know that music therapy sessions are modified for the patients needs. Patients with disabilities
mostly benefit form music therapy sessions. Backing up the effectiveness of music therapy with
facts that will strengthen my thesis statement and it will make my research paper more reliable.
Music therapy can be supported by medicine. Another one of my sources is an article by the
American Music Therapy Association titled Music therapy and Medicine. The opening
paragraph of this article helped me find a way to back up my research and relate it to my topic. It
describes what music therapy is and how it applies to the medical field. It is an established health
service similar to occupational therapy and physical therapy. The Music Therapy Association
explains that music therapy consists of using music therapeutically to address physical,
psychological, and social functioning for all patients of all ages. Unique outcomes are possible to
come from music therapy sessions. These sources that I have found make me feel more confident
about my research and credibility of it. With these sources I will be able to back my research up
with facts and I can support my details with examples. The majority of the sources Im using for
my research paper are exactly about the topic Im writing about. Especially in the book Music

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therapy with adults with learning disabilities by Watson, in chapter 3, I found information on
the effects on music therapy on Autism patients. With the dependable sources I found, I feel
confident I can make my research detailed.

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Research
Music Therapy improves behavior
Music therapy is an emerging practice currently growing. It is believed by researchers that the
use of music therapy for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will become more
popular in the years to come. Researchers have discussed advanced music memory,
responsiveness, and aptitudes within this population; more recent studies show that individuals
with autism may have a heightened musical attitude and sensitivity to musical elements, yet
similar skills of music perception as compared to typically developing peers (Heaton, 2005).
That means that music therapy can possibly be the best thing for individuals with autism.
An example of how music therapy improves behavior in individuals is research from the Autism
Science Foundation:
In a 2012 study of 41 children with autism over a ten-month period, See found that weekly music
therapy sessions seemed to improve overall behavior, with the most improvement seen in
inattentive behaviors. Children in this study experienced hour-long sessions of music therapy
once a week, and their conduct was monitored against a checklist of target behavior like
restlessness, aggression and noisiness. More than half the group improved by one or two points
on the scale after the music therapy sessions (ASF, 2013).
This research from the Autism Science Foundation supports the use of music therapy for
behavioral problems in individuals with autism and proves that music therapy does help improve
behavior in individuals with autism. The children in the study showed improved behavior over
time. I believe that the children showed improvements in behavior because music can reduce
anxiety and it is fun. With engaging music activities, an individual with autism can express

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themselves and alleviate stress and anxiety. Classical music or music with a steady rhythm is
thought to be the best for alleviating anxiety in children with autism due to the predictability of
the beat (ASF, 2013).

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Music therapy improves communication

Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it
difficult to express themselves in words (AMTA, n.d.). Music therapy interventions may assist
individuals with autism to identify and appropriately express their emotions (Katagiri, 2009). Up
to thirty-percent of children with autism are nonverbal, and many low-functioning children have
difficulty following verbal commands, and have difficult time with social awareness like
understanding body language (ASF, 2013). Through repetitive training, communication can be
improved in autistic patients. For example, my brother, Javier, has mild autism and he loves
talking to me. He didnt really start talking a lot until his 8th grade year in middle school. Now,
hes alright at having a conversation with someone but only if the other person gives him
something to talk about with a question or mentioning a topic that he has interest in as well and
sometimes he asks questions about something a person said or something he saw. He loves music
as much as I do and he listens to his favorite station on the radio every day. I observed that he
sang along to the songs hes heard often but for the new songs that he heard only a few times he
just hummed the melody. Any new words he hears in a song, he asks me what they mean and I
give him the definition and an example to make sure he understood. The new words he learns in
songs he listens to help him expand his vocabulary. When his teachers try to give him vocabulary
study guides, he is less interested and he doesnt learn the words because it was fun and
interactive for him. He likes to look up the lyrics to a song he likes and he reads the lyrics and
analyzes the meaning of the song on his own. Music has helped Javier expand his vocabulary,
improve his analytical skills, find the words needed to express himself the way he wants to when
hes is having a conversation with another person. He now reads books on his own and its

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because music helped him put the pieces together. He is still learning how to write sentences on
his own but he is making huge progress with help from me and others. If it werent for his
interest in music, I think he wouldnt be as advanced as he is today.

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Music therapy encourages social interactions

Through studies, music therapy has been proven to encourage social interactions in children with
Autism. Music therapy interventions may enhance auditory processing and other sensory/motor,
perceptual/motor, or gross/fine motor skills in individuals with ASD (LaGasse & Hardy, 2013).
An example of how music encourages social interactions is a research done by the Autism
Science Foundation:
A 2009 study by Kim, Wigram, and Gold found children with autism showed more emotional
expression and social engagement during music therapy sessions than in play sessions without
music. These children also responded to the therapists request more frequently during music
therapy than in play sessions without music (ASF, 2013).
This research done by the Autism Science Foundation showed how music therapy improves
social interactions in autistic patients with positive outcomes. The children interacted more with
music therapist when they were playing music. The listening and singing of greetings during
music therapy sessions help autistic patients learn how to properly interact with other people. A
skilled therapist can use music with children to increase their social interaction and improve
social skills (ASF, 2013).

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Pairing music with actions and improving motor sections of the brain
The use of rhythm for entertainment and timing of movement may also optimize sensorimotor
regulation in persons with ASD who show motor differences (LaGasse & Hardy, 2013).
Individuals who have motor problems can have a stimulus that can help them improve that
problem in their brain. The stimulus can help the individual develop better motor skills and by
using rhythm as the stimulus, it can also be entertainment. If rhythm were to be utilized for
motor planning and execution, then the phenomena of entertainment would need to be intact in
persons with similar neurological differences (LaGasse & Hardy, 2013). Auditory-motor
synchronization can help increase motor performance in individuals with autism. Given the
evidence of neurological differences in persons with ASD and preliminary evidence that
auditory-motor synchronization is intact, rhythm can be expected to yield similar motor
improvements in persons with ASD (LaGasse & Hardy, 2013). Auditory-motor coordination
plays a vital role in everyday activities, such as speech, and also in more abstract pursuits like
music and dance (Rankin & Limb, 2014).
Music therapy research done by the American Music Therapy Association shows how music
therapy for autistic patients would have positive results:
Research supports connections between speech and singing, rhythm and motor behavior,
memory for song an memory for academic material, and overall ability of preferred music to
enhance mood, attention, and behavior to optimize the students ability to learn and interact.
Therefore, one of the purposes of music therapy for persons with autism is to provide the

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individual with an initial assist using melodic and rhythmic strategies, followed by fading of
musical cues to aid in generalization and transfer to other environments (AMTA, 2010).

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Conclusion
In conclusion, music therapy improves communication, behavior, motor sections of the brain,
and encourages social interactions with fun and interactive music activities that the autistic
patient can excel in. Music therapy can be found in a variety of settings. A music therapy session
can be modified for the patients needs. Music therapists know how to apply music to the
patients needs based on the information they receive from the patients evaluation. Based on
research, autistic patients enjoy making music with the music therapist and interact more with
them during that time than when there is no music being played. Music therapy is considered to
be perfect for autism patients due to its interactive features that the patients enjoy that help them
overcome their weaknesses. The anxiety alleviating feature of music therapy is one of the main
causes music therapy is used to improve behavioral problems in the autistic patients. Autistic
patients show a lot of improvements over time with repeated practice. Music therapists connect
actions to music to help the patient learn and improve motor sections of the brain. Music
therapists create songs to help the patient learn how to interact with other people. Singing and
listening to greetings help autistic patients become better at expressing themselves and
communicating. Autistic individuals have senses that are out of sync and music helps them
balance their senses with an external stimuli. Music helps an autistic person relax with pleasing
sounds and lyrics. Music is fun so patients with autism can enjoy their time playing fun games
with different rhythms and possibly create their own rhythm. Classical music is mostly used in
music therapy session because of the unique rhythm and its positive effects on the brain.
Although scientists have proven that music therapy really does affect the brain and body in
positive ways, especially with patients who have a disability, it is still questioned for its
effectiveness since the time it was being experimented on patients with varying disabilities.

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Through studies, music therapy has been proven to encourage social interactions in children with
autism through group activities with instruments. There are numerous researches out there from
well-known organizations and professionals that prove that music therapy really does work for
patients with disabilities, especially autism.

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Abstract
This research paper is about the effects of music therapy on autistic patients. Music therapy
improves communication, behavior, motor sections of the brain, and encourages social
interactions in autistic patients. Music therapists pair music with actions and connect the auditory
and motor sections of the brain to help the autistic patient better understand directions when they
are given verbally to them. Music therapy sessions improve the weaknesses of the autistic
patients through repeated practice. Music helps balance the out of sync senses on an autistic
individual through interactive activities. Research proves that music therapy is perfect for
individuals with autism because of its interactive features and the fun nature of music.

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References
American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (2010). Autism Spectrum Disorders: Music
Therapy Research and Evidence Based Practice Support.
This source is credible because it came from a trusted organization for music therapy
research. I will use this source in my research paper to show the positive effects music
therapy has on individuals with autism.
American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (n.d.). Definition and Quotes about Music
Therapy. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.musictherapy.org/about/quotes/
This source is credible because it is from the official American Music Therapy
Association website. It includes quotes that I can use in my research paper to support my
thesis statement
Autism Society. (n.d.). About Autism. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.autismsociety.org/about-autism/
This source is reliable because it is from a well-known organization. I'm using this source
in my paper to explain to the reader what Autism is.
Campbell, D. G. (1997). The Mozart effect: Tapping the power of music to heal the body,
strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Avon Books.
This book will inform me about the healing factors of music and why it is used to treat
disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. I trust this book is credible because the
author included citations in the back of the book. I will be using this book in my research
to explain why and how music therapy works.
Campbell, D. G. (2000). The Mozart effect for children: Awakening your child's mind, health,
and creativity with music. New York: William Morrow.
This book is credible because the author provided references at the end of the book. This
book will help me find out more about the science behind the healing power of music in
children. I will be using this book to write my research paper.
Heaton, P. (2005). Interval and contour processing in autism. Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders.
This source will help me add detail to my section on how music therapy improves
behavior.
Katagiri, J. (2009). The effect of background music and song texts on the emotional
understanding of children with autism. Journal of Music Therapy.

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This source is credible because it's from a Journal all about music therapy. I will use this
journal entry in my paper because it is about the effects music has on autistic children.
LaGasse, A. B., & Hardy, M. W. (2013). Considering rhythm for sensorimotor regulation in
children with Autism Spectrum Disorders., Music Therapy Perspectives.
This source is reliable because it is only 1 year old and that means it has up to date
information. I will use this source to add more detail about how music therapy improves
communication.
Littlefield, A. (n.d.). Music Therapy and Autism [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2012/09/14/music-therapy-and-autism
This blog post is about music therapy used with Autism Spectrum patients, what happens,
and how it works. It was written by a music therapist and assistant director at The George
Center for Music Therapy, inc. I trust this blog post of reliable because it is on the Autism
Speaks blog page and it was written by an actual music therapist who obviously knows
what they are talking about. I know they're not making things up because they included
resources at the bottom on the blog post.
Music Therapy Perspectives. (2007). Music Therapy Perspectives, 25(2), 130-130.
doi:10.1093/mtp/25.2.130
This journal article is about the background of music therapy and what music therapists
do. I believe this journal article is credible because it was created by the Music Therapy
Association, citations, and contact information were included. I will be using this journal
article to write my research paper. This will help me explain what music therapy is.
Rankin, S. K., & Limb, C. J. (2014, September 03). Auditory-motor synchronization with
temporally fluctuating sequences is dependent on fractal structure but not musical expertise.
Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4153026/
This source is reliable because it was published this year. It is up to date.
Watson, T. (2007). Chapter 3: Music Therapy and Autistic Disorder. In Music therapy with adults
with learning disabilities. London: Routledge.
This chapter is about using music therapy with Autism Spectrum Disorder patients. I will
be using this chapter of this book to write my research paper because it is exactly about
my topic. This is a credible source because this book was written not too long ago and
references are included at the end.