BENEFITS OF INTERACTIVE MUSIC THERAPY ON CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a wide range of severity, encompassing mild to severe levels of social, communicative, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. This social functioning disorder affects every 1 in 68 children born in the U.S., with prevalence rates doubling since 2000. ASD is associated with left hemisphere responsibilities, such as decreased joint attention, inability to comprehend social cues, insufficient linguistic knowledge, and a difficulty forming meaningful relationships. Children with ASD are faced with many problems, including a lack of friends, limited social activities, and are often excluded from mainstream school. Unfortunately, they are also frequently kept from valuable social, educational, and leisurely life experiences; from not being able to pick out their own clothes, to learning how to drive or becoming independent, the daily struggles of autism hinder them from living “normal” lives. In the most severe cases, some will commit crimes during adolescence due to their frustration and inability to control their aggression or understand other's perspectives.The symptoms of autism impact not only familial relationships, but a family’s financial stability as well. Parents of autistic children often feel isolated, depressed, and emotionally and physically exhausted from the strenuous care involved in caring for and supporting their children. In a study of 196,159 households conducted by Saunders et. al. (2015), 52% of caregivers and parents of autistic children reported having financial difficulty, with many having to leave work to care for their children. However, these problems can be alleviated by providing an effective and appropriate therapy regimen that will not only help autistic children live more “normal” lives, but allow them to better integrate as active members of society, benefiting themselves and those who care around them.