Effects of Music Therapy on the Social Skills of Autistic Children
Abstract
The research involves the study of whether music therapy is an effective in improving social skills in autistic children. The research has introduction section, method section, result section and discussion section. I used different data collecting instruments like questionnaires, interviewing, observation, sampling, randomized control study, secondary data sources, parent child music therapy and proforma registration. On all results obtained it showed that music therapy is effective in improving social skills of autistic children.
Background of the study
Autistic refers to complex development disability that shows up in children during the first three years of life affecting a child ability to interact and communicate with others. This condition has been observed in many children in the world with many treatment mechanism employed on autistic children to improve their interaction and communication skills improvisational music therapy has been recommended by many research as effective in improving the social skills of autistic children.
The aim of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of this theory (Baker, Tamplin & Kennelly, 2006). Because music is engaging and motivating it can be used as a natural reinforce for desired responses. Music therapy is an established technique that uses music interactions to aid individuals with emotional and cognitive challenges improve their ability to function.
Through interaction with autistic children, music therapist builds skills, develops communication skills and lower anxiety in children. Music aids people with autism improve social skills, communication skills, sensory issues, perceptual/motor skills, behavior, cognition and self-reliance. Music therapist uses music that rhymes with particular person’s condition hence building trust and creating relationship with individuals involved.
These have been suggested by previous researches on effects of music therapy on social skills of autistic children. In this study, I wanted to confirm the effectiveness of these by imploring use of improvisational music therapy model, parent-child music therapy, individual music therapy sessions, and use of randomized control study by single subject comparison design and paying attention to methodological factors and variables that may have contributed to inconsistencies in the previous research (MacDonald, Kreutz & Mitchell, 2012).
The study involved working on school settings on a child individual education plan on autistic children, study on Medicaid waivers services behavioral analysis and data analysis on past researches that have been conducted. Music increased attention, decreased self- stimulation, increased socialization, improved cognitive functioning, improved behavior, decreased agitation, improved verbal skills, enhanced sensory motor skills, enhanced auditory processing and led to successful and safe self expression. These findings provided me with experimental support for claims that music therapy is effective in improving social skills of autistic children.
Introduction
“You can easily discover the behavior of a child easily in an hour of play than taking several years in conversation”. Autism tends to affect male children more than females and it has no cure hence many suppression ways like the one music therapy and play therapy are used. Music therapy has been widely used to enable children to learn many ways of relating with others, communicate with others, and to develop problem-solving skills. It is therefore highly recommended to do more research to find out the effectiveness of music on social skills of autistic children (Lehrer, Woolfolk & Sime, 2007).
Objective of the Study
1.0 Specific objective: To find out the effect of music therapy on social skills of autistic children
1.1 General objectives
a) To find out whether music therapy increased attention
b) To find out if music therapy decreased self stimulation
c) To find out whether music therapy increases socialization skills
d) To find out whether music therapy improves behavior
e) To find out whether music therapy improves verbal skills
f) To find out whether music therapy leads to successful and safe self expression
g) To find out the attitude of parents of autistic children towards music therapy
h) To evaluate the knowledge of parents of autistic children regarding music therapy.
i) To obtain information to be used to educate people on the effect of music therapy on autistic children
1.2.0 Research hypothesis
There is no relationship between music therapy and social skills in autistic children.
There is a relationship between music therapy and social skills in autistic children.
1.2.1 Research Questions
- Does music therapy increase attention?
- How do music therapies increase socialization skills?
- Does music therapy improve behavior?
- To what extent does music therapy improve verbal skills?
1.3.0 Significance of the study
- This study will help parents who have autistic children so that they may take their children to music therapy to improve their behavior.
- Those who wish to take a course in music therapy to find out if their knowledge will be applicable in the society (Harris, & MENC, the National Association for Music Education (U.S.),2009).
- Those desiring to do more research on the effects of music therapy on autistic children
1.4.0 Limitation of the study
- Time
- Cost
- Language barrier
- Resistance from people and organization in where to carry out research work
1.5.0 Scope of the study
The study covered large scope n>30
1.6.0 Conceptual framework
This is a diagrammatic representation of the relationship between music therapy and social variables
Assumptions
1. Its assumed that parents of autistic children have both negative and positive attitude toward autism
2. It is also assumed that parents of autistic children are aware of the existence of centers offering music therapy.
Inclusion Criteria
1. Those who had autistic children
2. Those who were available at the time of data collection
3. Those parents and that were willing to cooperate and participate.
Exclusion Criteria
1. Those who had been interviewed before on effect of music therapy on autistic children.
2.0 Method Section
I used various methods of data and information collection, which include:
a) Questionnaires
b) Interviews
c) Observation
d) Secondary data sources
e) Randomized control study
f) Parent child music therapy
g) Individual music therapy session
h) Improvasional music therapy invention model (Oldfield, 2006).
a) Questionnaires
I sent well-designed questionnaires to parents whose children had undergone music therapy and those whose children are undergoing music therapy to improve their social skills. Also sent to music therapists to get their views on the effectiveness of their work and lastly to music therapy students to obtain their experience and views of music therapy (Berger, 2001).
