MUSIC-BASED INTERVENTION FOR AUTISM: A TWO-YEAR LONGITUDINAL CASE STUDY WITH PARENTAL COLLABORATION

Olivia Luan, Yuankun Yao

Abstract


Music therapy (MT) has been increasingly recognized as a supportive intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in encouraging social communication, emotional regulation, and engagement. Research studies suggest that music therapy is most effective when it emphasizes individualized pacing, empathetic resonance, and active caregiver involvement. Building on this literature, the present study reports a two-year longitudinal case study of an individualized piano based music program for a child with autism and intellectual disability. Using parent interview data, weekly documentation of instructional materials, review of recorded piano practice, and reflective qualitative analysis, the study examines how sustained musical engagement, supported by structured home practice and parental collaboration, contributed to executive functioning, emotional resilience, and social bonding. Findings highlight the value of personalized instruction, consistency over time, and parent-mediated learning in extending therapeutic benefits beyond formal sessions. Implications for music-based intervention practice and family-centered approaches are discussed.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


music therapy, autism spectrum disorder, neurobiology of musical cognition, parent–child interaction, emotional regulation, social communication

Full Text:

PDF

References


American Academy of Pediatrics. (2020). Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 145(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3447

Applewhite, B., Cankaya, Z., Heiderscheit, A., Himmerich, H., (2022). A systematic review of scientific studies on the effects of music in people with or at risk for autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 5150. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100336/

Berger, D. (2017). Kids, Music, ‘N’ Autism: Bringing out the music in your child. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Kids_Music_n_Autism.html?id=AXigDAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Bharathi, G., Jayaramayya, K., Balasubramanian, V., Vellingiri, B. (2019). The potential role of rhythmic entrainment and music therapy intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 15 (2): 180-186. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1836578.289

Bharathi, G., Venugopal, A., Vellingiri, B. (2019). Music therapy as a therapeutic tool in improving the social skills of autistic children. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 55:44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-019-0091-x

Bieleninik, Ł., Geretsegger, M., Mössler, K. A., Assmus, J., Thompson, G., Gattino, G., Elefant, C., Gottfried, T., Igliozzi, R., Muratori, F., Suvini, F., Kim, J., Crawford, M. J., Odell-Miller, H., Oldfield, A., Casey, Ó., Finnemann, J., Carpente, J., Park, A.-L., Grossi, E., & Gold, C. (2017). Effects of improvisational music therapy vs enhanced standard care on symptom severity among children with autism spectrum disorder: The TIME-A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 318(6), 525–535. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.9478

Carpente, J. (2016). Investigating the effectiveness of a developmental, individual difference, relationship-based (DIR) improvisational music therapy program on social communication for children with autism spectrum disorder. Music Therapy Perspectives, 35 (2), 160-174. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miw013

Cibrian, F. L., Razo, J., Romo, I., Muñoz, M., Tapia, M., & Tentori, M. (2020). Neurologic music therapy in children and adolescents with autism: A randomized controlled pilot study. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 104, 103702.

Fan, Q., Ding, M., Cheng, W., Su, L., Zhang, Y., Liu, Q., & Wu, Z. (2024). The clinical effects of Orff music therapy on children with autism spectrum disorder: A comprehensive evaluation. Frontiers in Neurology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2024.1387060

Gattino, G, Riesgo, R., Longo, D., Leite, J., Faccini L. (2011). Effects of relational music therapy on communication of children with autism: a randomized controlled study. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 20:2, 142-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2011.566933

Geretsegger, M., Elefant, C., Mössler, K. A., & Gold, C. (2014). Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004381.pub3

Geretsegger, M., Fusar Poli, L., Elefant, C., & Gold, C. (2022). Music therapy for autistic people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004381.pub4

He, Y., et al. (2024). Effects of Mozart–Orff parent–child music therapy among mothers and their preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. BMC Pediatrics, 24, 665. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05085-3

Johnson, J. (2019). Basics of Keyboard Theory. J. Johnson Music Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Basics_of_Keyboard_Theory.html?id=6-cOAQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Kim, J., Wigram, T., & Gold, C. (2008). The effects of improvisational music therapy on joint attention behaviors in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1758–1766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0566-6

Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170–180. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3666

Rabeyron, T., Robledo, J., Carasco, E., Bisson, V., Bodeau, N., Vrait, F., Berna, F., Bonnot, O. (2020). A randomized controlled trial of 25 sessions comparing music therapy and music listening for children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Research, 293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113377

Sharda, M., Tuerk, C., Chowdhury, R., Jamey, K., Foster, N., Custo-Blanch, M., Tovar-Moll, F., & Hyde, K. L. (2018). Music improves social communication and auditory–motor connectivity in children with autism. Translational Psychiatry, 8, 231. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-018-0287-3

Snell, K. (1997). Keith Snell Piano Repertoire. Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2019). Autism spectrum disorder fact sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.caresource.com/documents/autism-brochure.

Thompson, G., McFerran, K. S., & Gold, C. (2013). Family-centered music therapy to promote social engagement in young children with severe autism. Child: Care, Health and Development, 40(6), 840–852. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12121

Tsirigoti, A. & Georgiadi, M. (2024). The efficacy of music therapy programs on the development of social communication in Children with Autism Spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 14, 373. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040373

Williams, N. R., et al. (2024). Improved motor skills in autistic children after three weeks of rhythmic movement to music. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1355942

Zatorre, R. J., & Salimpoor, V. N. (2013). From perception to pleasure: Music and its neural substrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110 (Suppl. 2), 10430–10437. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1301228110

Zhou, Z., Zhao, X., Yang, Q., Zhou, T., Feng, Y., Chen, Y., Chen, Z., Deng, C. (2025). A randomized controlled trial of the efficacy of music therapy on the social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104942




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v12i2.6559

Copyright © 2015 - 2026. European Journal of Special Education Research (ISSN 2501 - 2428) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms.

All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).