| Title | The effects of improvisational music therapy on joint attention behaviors in autistic children: a randomized controlled study. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2008 |
| Authors | Kim J, Wigram T, Gold C |
| Journal | J Autism Dev Disord |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pagination | 1758-66 |
| Date Published | 2008 Oct |
| ISSN | 0162-3257 |
| Keywords | Attention, Autistic Disorder, Child, Cooperative Behavior, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Music Therapy |
| Abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of improvisational music therapy on joint attention behaviors in pre-school children with autism. It was a randomized controlled study employing a single subject comparison design in two different conditions, improvisational music therapy and play sessions with toys, and using standardized tools and DVD analysis of sessions to evaluate behavioral changes in children with autism. The overall results indicated that improvisational music therapy was more effective at facilitating joint attention behaviors and non-verbal social communication skills in children than play. Session analysis showed significantly more and lengthier events of eye contact and turn-taking in improvisational music therapy than play sessions. The implications of these findings are discussed further. |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10803-008-0566-6 |
| Alternate Journal | J Autism Dev Disord |
| PubMed ID | 18592368 |
The Sound Health Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Renée Fleming.