Music and Autism- A multi-sensory approach
Emma Donnelly
Claire Smyton
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What is Music Therapy?
“Music therapy is the use of music and/ or musical elements by a qualified music
therapist with a client or group, in a process designed to facilitate and promote
communication, relationships, learning, mobilisation, expression, organisation and other
relevant therapeutic objectives, in order to meet physical, emotional, mental, social and
cognitive needs”.
(World Federation of Music Therapy, 1996, as cited in Wigram.T., Pedersen.I.N.,
Bonde.L.O., 2002, p.30)
What are the differences?
Music Teaching
Music Therapy
The Triad of Impairments (Differences)
Wing & Gould (1979)
Social
Interaction
Social
Communication
Sensory Modulation difficulties
Imagination &
Flexibility of
thought
Understanding the Triad
“It is essential to understand the nature of
autistic conditions. People with these disorders,
because of their social impairments, cannot
meet you half way. You have to make an
imaginative leap into their world and try to see
things from their point of view”.
Wing (1996,p87)
• If you know one person with Autism, then
you know one person with Autism!
• (Dr. Stephen Shore)
Differences in Social Interaction
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Socially isolated
Social demands of others cause anxiety
Finds social cues difficult to read
Find it difficult to understand the thoughts and feeling of others
May behave in a socially inappropriate way
May lack the strategies to establish and maintain friendships
May cause offence without being aware
Differences in Social Communication
• May have spoken language that is formal and pedantic/no
language
• Voice may lack expression/scream
• Cannot understand implications of different tones of voice
• May have difficulty using and understanding non verbal
communication
• May not read or understand facial expressions, gesture, body
language or vocal intonation.
• Takes things literally
• Has inability to understand implied meaning
Differences in Imagination
• Repetitive/restricted play.
• May engage in stereotypical behaviours (spinning,
rocking)
• Difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
• Difficulty with planning, organisation, cause and
effect
• Difficulty with change
Sensory Processing
Common difficulties include:
_ Dislikes light touch on skin
– Dislikes hands being messy
– Restricted diet (avoidance of specific textures/tastes)
– Distressed in noisy environments- be auditory defensive
– Seeks out increased sensory input through self-stimulatory
behaviours e.g. rocking, spinning, hand flapping
Theory of mind
Theory of Mind
 Many individuals with ASD may have difficulties in
“mind reading”
 Individuals may talk in a monologue about special
interests
 May react aggressively to good natured teasing
 May have severe deficits in knowing when someone
is hurt or distressed
Executive Function
Executive Function
 The term executive function describes a set of cognitive abilities that
control and regulate other abilities and behaviours
 Executive functions are necessary for goal-directed behaviour. They
include the ability to initiate and stop actions, to monitor and change
behaviour as needed, and to plan future behaviour when faced with novel
tasks and situations
 Executive functions allow us to anticipate outcomes and adapt to
changing situations. The ability to form concepts and think abstractly are
often considered components of executive function
Thinking
Differently
A Pupil-Centred Approach.
A Pupil-Centred Approach using a variety of teaching approaches
is advocated by the DES.
(National Initiative for Autism Screening and Assessment, 2003)
National Autistic Society UK
The role of education is to:
Facilitate the pupil’s learning and skills development whilst also
accommodating the personal and social development of
students with ASD
Strengths
• Creativity
• Particular interest
• Some children can have perfect pitch and excellent
rhythm
• Visual thinkers
• Perseverance
• Memory skills- rote learning
• Can learn routines quickly
• Can incorporate interests as motivators and as calming
strategies
Needs
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Refusal to participate in curriculum activities which are outside his/her area of
interest
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Reluctance to participate in new activities, which then restricts skill and knowledge
development (fear of failure)
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Distracted by compulsion to engage in repetitive behaviours
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Cannot cope with changes to routine e.g. substitute teacher, timetable changes.
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Difficulties with generalization
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Affect of changes to sensory systems due to environmental factors can inhibit
exposure and progress
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Difficulty moving to new classes/schools
Music and Autism
“Autism impairs the capacity for interaction and
communication, to greater or lesser degrees. But
where mere words prove unavailing or
insufficient, music can still succeed”
(Stephen M. Shore)
Music and Autism
• Children with autism usually have a need for structure and organization in
their lives. Music is inherently structured and predictable
• Music is often repetitive and rhythmic in nature therefore often Autistic
children are drawn to music
• Music in a classroom can engage students with autism, as well as provide
them with an environment in which they can learn specific skills
• Music in a classroom setting creates a non-threatening environment for
students with autism and their peers, which can help to promote
initiation of communication
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A musical environment can promote social and academic integration to
occur naturally
The potential benefits of music
Communication:
Development of meaningful gestures, sounds and language
Increasing tolerance of sounds
Increase attention span/attention to task
Can encourage the use of PEC’s and other visual
communications
Social development:
Motivation to interact
Tolerance of change and unpredictability
Enhancing flexibility and responsiveness
Providing meaningful shared experiences
Develops basic social skills – turn taking, eye contact, waiting
Listening and active participation
Develop self awareness and self other awareness
Emotional development:
Improving sense of self and self esteem
Developing expressive abilities
Sharing of emotional experience
Fosters a sense of belonging
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Potential benefits of music
• Cognitive development:
– Developing awareness, concentration, memory, creativity
– Increasing conscious control of actions and handling of objects
– Reinforce pre-academic and academic skills- counting, colour
identification, word recognition, etc.
• Early Intervention:
– Enhancing development at an early stage of young children on autistic
spectrum, or who have difficulties associated with ASD
– Supporting families experiencing isolation, stress or frustration
– Provide early sensory stimulation/integration experiences
• Specific benefits with adults with ASD
– Exploration of emotions and feelings
– Richer life experience and emotional stability
Music can also assist with:
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Communication
Improvisation
Facilitating relaxation
Social skills
Reducing Anxiety
Group exposure
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Music And Communication
• As music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain it can help
stimulate cognitive functioning and is often used to develop speech
and language skills, which is a left-brain process
• Music includes various elements that are also components of
language acquisition
• A nonverbal child who is resistant to speaking may feel more
comfortable in the non-judgmental and nonverbal activities of
music making where any vocal sound is accepted as a creative part
of the improvised music
• Music helps to strengthen a child’s non-verbal communication and
lessens pressure on them for verbal exchange and response
Music and Communication
• Music encourages more frequency of spontaneous communication
• Music offers a fun opportunity to learn new words and concepts through
repetition (an important factor when helping to improve a child’s language
skills)
• Music encourages turn-taking behaviours (just like in conversation)
• Music has rhythm (enabling actions to be combined with words to reinforce
word meanings
• Music has rhyme (encouraging children to become aware of words and their
sounds, which also assists with developing their literacy skills)
• Music assists children to remember new words (particularly once the child
has learned the tune)
• Music helps attention and listening skills (receptive communication)
Inspiring Communication
• Something in common.
• Something worth
communicating about
• Focusing on more than needs
• Communicating for the fun if
it!
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Facilitating relaxation
• Music can lower the, levels. of tension and anxiety by
providing a pleasurable, non-confrontational, nonthreatening environment
• Relaxation directly facilitated by music can provide an
important 'break' for the emotionally disordered
individual
• Music can allow the individual to 'relax and have fun'
without even realizing that a therapeutic process may be
taking place
Social skills
• Music captures and helps maintain attention. It is highly motivating
and may be used as a natural “reinforcer” for desired responses
• Music can stimulate individuals to reduce negative and/or selfstimulatory responses and increase participation in more
appropriate and socially acceptable ways
• Taking part in music or playing an instrument can lead to a sense of
achievement
• Participating in musical groups promotes friendships and a sense of
belonging
• Promotes team work
Music and Sensory integration
• For some people with autism particular sounds can literally cause
them great physical pain. It may also cause them to become over
stimulated and act out with inappropriate behaviour due to their
inability to communicate their discomfort
• Engaging children in music may help the brain develop the capacity
to adapt and retain how sensory information is processed
• The repetitive nature of music may help to develop ‘trust’ for the
music environment (non-threatening) allowing sensory issues to be
explored
• Music and music therapy is one of the best options for treating
Sensory issues. Music is multi-sensory therefore can reach all
multi-sensory systems at once
Positive suggestions from Good
Practice Guidance (DfES, 2002)
• Visual clues to the plan,
content and aims of the
lesson
• Written/symbol/picture
prompts for the individual
• Predictable patterns for the
pupil to recognize
• Regular routine instructions
• A permanent reference
system for the pupil to
consult and be a more
independent learner
• High expectations, the pupil
does not need to be
dependent upon adult
support
• People with autism tend
have a preference for a
visual learning style
How can visual reinforcement help
• Visual learners
• Organisation of tasks and instructions to facilitate;
– Communication
– Appropriate behaviour
– Independence
– Flexible thinking
– Learning
– Predictability
Provide Clarity
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Visuals give child enough time to process what’s being said and to act on it
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Break down new skills into smaller steps, to be learned one step at a time
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Helps to build functional communication
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Helps to generalize new skills and learning in different situations/subjects
What are Visual Supports?
Visual supports are concrete visual information that
help the person with autism understand the world
around them e.g.
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Objects
Pictures
TOBIS
Symbols
Written language
Environmental cues
Gestures
Time Timer
A robust, practical teaching aid to help individuals
with an autistic spectrum disorder manage time
keeping better. This battery operated timer clearly
shows how much time is left in an interval of 60
minutes using a simple red dial. The timer could be
used to count down to play, to get ready, for exams,
or to help stay on task.
Count Down Strip
• How much time they have to complete a task
• To know when the chosen task is over
• Reduce stress and minimise behaviour outburst when
activity ends
• You can be in control of it
Establish reinforcers
• Identify a range of reinforcers of interest to the pupil
• Rank these reinforcers into a hierarchy
• Examples of reinforcers:
– Favourite toy or object (e.g. dinosaur, string, mirror)
– Self stimulatory behaviour (e.g. rocking, chewing). Allow these
behaviours at appropriate time and place
– Favourite activity, often sensory based (e.g. trampoline, music,
tactile toy, walk in the playground)
• Remember that the pupil needs sensory activities to increase
alertness and calmness. They should therefore not be rewards, and
should never be removed. However, when used before or after
activities, they can reinforce participation.
What if my pupil learns to depend on the visual
structures too much?
Some children will use the tools until they
have internalized and can generalize the
procedures. Others will continue to use the
tools forever for the structure and
organization, in order to stay on the task to
complete their goals.
The role of music at home
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Facilitate parent-infant bonding
Supported parental learning/parenting
Helps to aid transitions
Anxiety management
Promote normalisation
Multi-modal stimuli
Provide emotional, psychological support
Helps to decrease distressful behaviours
May elicit positive changes in mood in both infant
and caregiver.
• Distraction from negative behaviours
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• Music can help to calm and sooth as well as reduce
stress behaviours
• Decreases in physiological parameters such as heart
rate, blood pressure, and oxygen intake have also
been recorded during music interventions
• Strengthening the child’s tolerance for auditory and
tactile stimulation
• Early intervention- Infant directed singing- offers a
natural way to communicate emotion and can help
regulate infant states (Trainor, 1996)
• Encouraging Motherese or ‘baby talk’
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Role of parents
• Musical experiences acquired at school should
be extended in the home.
How?
• Singing songs together
• Listening to music together and talking about
it
• Playing with ‘found’ sounds-pots and pans
• Making up simple songs
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• Encouraging active listening
• Discussing attitudes towards and personal
taste in music
• Allowing time and space to practise on an
instrument
• Encouraging positive attitudes to music in
general and to school based activities
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What can you do at home?
• Silly songs to support transitions that maybe
stressful- taking a bath, washing, getting
dressed.
• Using music during stressful times to help
calm and relax a child-familiar songs while
driving in the car.
• Use Ipads and ICT software to motivate
children to engage in music making in a fun
age appropriate way.
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Transitions
• Music and sounds are excellent cues that can be
used to signal and structure transitions and routines.
• Music can also be used to convey a message or a
sequence of steps that needs to be memorized and
recalled in different situations
• Cue an activity or event
• Prompt a sequence of steps
• Distract from undesired behaviours
• Reinforce positive behaviours
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Steps in creating your own
transition song
• Choose a specific transition (for example, transitioning from
hand washing to breakfast).
• Pick a familiar tune (for example, If You’re Happy and You
Know It).
• Identify keywords (for example, breakfast, seat, eat, juice,
fruit)
• Fit the words to the familiar tune. ‘a do do da’
• Modify the song by including objects or pictures symbols.
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Examples
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Good morning song
Dinner song- bat man
Washing your dirty hands
Brushing teeth (tune – row your boat)
Tidy up song
Good sitting song
If you’re ready for ….
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Listening and Responding
• Emphasises the importance of purposeful, active
listening in order to elicit physical, verbal,
emotional and cognitive responses.
• Providing the child with opportunities to listen to
a range of familiar and unfamiliar musical pieces.
• Challenging the child to respond imaginatively
with increasing precision and musical sensitivity.
Examples of activities
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Musical box goes around
Who has the egg?
Make your sound the same as mine
Match the music to emotions
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/
mm/
• Pass the clapping pattern around the circle
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Useful Apps
• Garage Band- So many musical components all rolled into one ap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pUuKEc4t2g
Y#!
• Baa baa black sheep-Find and match objects
• ABC Piano- press the piano keys to sing along to a favourite song
• Boogie Booper- playful music making game for toddlers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGMF9tnJP-s
• Sound Shaker- lets children create and play with music and mystery sounds
by tapping and tilting
• Air Harp- experience the sounds of the harp
• Piano Free with songs- free 88key piano with lots of sounds and free songs
• Thumb Jam- over 40 instruments to play and experiment with
• Bebot- part synthesizer part animated robot
• Singing fingers- lets you finger paint with sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYA7N-vdZA
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Useful Apps
• Music Composer (Lite)- provides a fun and inventive way to create music
• Composer Lite- compose your own music including over 5 tracks, 3 octaves
in a fully chromatic scale
• Prelude Composer - is a basic single-staff music composition app designed
to let users quickly jot down and preview their musical ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoJvNVCmOBQ
• Music box Composer- Create your own Music Box music, and easily share
your compositions with others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2_zsuxVxTU
• “Musical Instruments Free”
• Beamz- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd1abmwSzOo
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Useful Music Websites
www.sphinxkids.org
www.globalclassroom.org
www.creatingmusic.com
www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/activitiesgames/ind
ex.html
www.sfskids.org
www.eduscapes.com
www.kidsknowit.com
www.boowakwala.com
www.music8kids.com/html/musicgame
www.games.pppst.com/music.html
www.perpetualpreschool.com/music.html
www.fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/music
www.songsforteaching.com
www.theideabox.com
www.little-folks-music.com
Useful Books
•Playing, Laughing and Learning with children on the Autism
Spectrum by Julia Moor
•The Autism Inclusion Toolkit- Maggie Bowen and Lynn Plimley
•Music Therapy, Sensory Integration and the Autistic Child by Dorita
S. Berger
•Let’s all Listen by Pat Lloyd
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