Celebrating Autism Awareness Month!

Music Therapy and ASD

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day! Music therapy can be a wonderful tool for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), so let's take a look at a few of the possible benefits!

Sensory Stimulation and Processing 

Many people with ASD have increased sensory needs or sensitivities. Utilizing a variety of instruments in music therapy exposes clients to different visual, tactile, and auditory experiences, which can fulfill some of those sensory seeking needs. For folks who are more sensory avoidant, music therapy provides a comfortable, safe, and pleasant environment to explore different sounds and feelings, and the music therapist is trained to assist in regulation in the event of overstimulation. 

Communication 

Music is a tool for expression, even among people who are not able to, or choose not to communicate verbally. Through participation in music therapy, clients with ASD can learn and practice alternative forms of communicating their needs and desires--skills that can be generalized to their everyday lives! Music therapy is also an engaging way to practice emotional identification and regulation. Clients and families can collaborate with their music therapist to determine areas of need and create unique songs to be applied when difficult feelings arise. 

Social relation 

Dedicated 1:1 time spent with a music therapist can be an effective setting for practicing social skills such as turn-taking, joint attention, and relationship building. These same skills can be practiced in a music therapy group of peers, giving clients the opportunity to introduce themselves, share instruments, and listen to and learn from each other. 

Transitions 

People with ASD often become very focused on a particular task and activity, and have difficulty transitioning to something new. In situations like these, music acts as a cue (for example, the way we automatically know to stand up when we hear the national anthem begin to play). Using musical transitions consistently lets a client know it’s time to move on from what they are doing in a fun and engaging way. In a similar way, music can provide structure to a task. Using a song to walk a client through all the steps of a routine daily task, for example, getting dressed, can help them learn the process and become more independent when completing it. 

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This is certainly not a comprehensive list, and of course each individual will have unique strengths and areas of need, but music therapy casts a wide net in the benefits it can provide. To learn more, or to ask questions about how music therapy can fit the needs of someone in your life, feel free to reach out to us using the "Contact" tab at the upper right hand side of the webpage, or email us at info@keynotemn.com.