Essay On Music And Autism

Words: 841
Pages: 4

The following paper will discuss the effects and the influence of music therapy in autistic individuals. Many people have attributed great recognition to music as a mean of treatment or therapeutic resource for whatever problem they may be dealing with. This paper will focus on the impact that music can serve to the treatment and improvement of autistic symptoms. A relative of mine is diagnosed with autism, and I have seen how much enjoyment he gets from listening to video game music and how much his communication skills have improved over time. People with autism and all of those who are part of their lives will go through many challenges, but the impact that music can have in these children’s lives can go beyond just the improvement.
Autism is a neurological condition that is noticeable around the age of 3. (American Psychological Association (APA) n.d). The development of the brain is abnormal
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A study by Boso, Emanuele, Minazzi, Abbamonte, and Politi (2007) followed a group of 8 young adults with severe autism in order to determine whether music training could potentially improve their behaviors and musical skills. For 52 weeks, these individuals attended weekly one-hour music training sessions that allowed for live exposure and experience to music playing through piano and drum playing, and singing. The researchers noted that doing so helps the promotion of social engagement, the improvement of behavioral problems, and the increase of creativity in music making. The interactive sessions have strengthened and improved the behavioral aspects of these adults; but they have also upped their musical skills. Within those 52 weeks, they improved in singing melodies, playing the C scale on keyboard, and reproducing rhythms. (Boso, Emanuele, Minazzi, Abbamonte, & Politi,