Medically Reviewed By: Denise Rhone
Music is a great way to express emotion even if you’re not the one that wrote the song. For many, music is used to help them function throughout the day. The benefits of listening to music are extensive and it’s also used medically.
When it comes to treating or providing care for any kind of disorder, research is important. It should be effective and accomplish positive goals for the people involved. Autism in children is something that has been studied for many years now. There are many ways to “treat” or help a child in that situation go through everyday life and music therapy is one of them.
Music therapy for adolescents with autism is an evidence-based form of therapy and it’s important to point this out. Over time it has proven to be a risk-free technique to help adolescents with improving their ability to function. If you have a child with autism and you’re looking into what would benefit them it’s time to look into music therapy.
How Does Music Therapy Work?
Music therapy for adolescents with autism is interactively using music with patients in a medical setting. Though the child may not be in the hospital, because it is being used for behavioral and developmental purposes it is still considered a medical therapy.
In this case, the child will meet with a certified music therapist. This is a trained professional that observes the child’s behavior and then uses music to assess their behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills. Each session will look different for each child because they will be addressing their individual needs. There are music strategies, procedures, and interventions used, and as the process continues, the therapist will document the child’s response to track their overall progress.
Here are some of the ways that music therapy works.
Music therapy can stimulate a child to reduce negative or self-stimulated responses and increase participation in more appropriate ways. It builds a bridge in a non-threatening setting between the child, other individuals, and their environment. Music therapy also helps to capture and maintain the attention of the child.Music therapy is a great way to encourage adolescents who are verbal communicators to also use non-verbal communication. And vice-versa, it helps non-verbal communicators to use learn verbal communication and develop their speech and language skills. Music is a great way to encourage emotion because it induces emotion. Many autistic children have trouble expressing their emotions. Such children may also throw tantrums when they aren’t understood, which can make them more vulnerable. The use of music in such scenarios can help a child relax. Music can also improve their tolerance to stress and frustrations.
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These are just some of the ways that music therapy works. There are also sensory, stimulating, and structural ways that music therapy works in the brain of an adolescent with autism.
Benefits of Music Therapy
Because music therapy is interactive, it works on a handful of social and communication skills for autistic children. For centuries music has been used as a way to communicate and interact with others. This is the same way that music therapy is beneficial in this instance.
Here are some of the proven benefits of music therapy for adolescents with autism.
Improves…
- Communication
- Social Skills
- Sensory Issues
- Behavior
- Emotional Regulation
- Cognition
- Attention
- Motor Skills
- Self-reliance
- Self-determination
Is This A Good Choice?
Before starting a new therapy for your child, we always recommended that you speak to their doctor. Showing them your research and expressing why you think this would be a good form of therapy for your child is the right choice. They will be able to examine and let you know if this will truly be beneficial for your child. If you’re considering music therapy for your child with autism and need to speak to a doctor or provider about it, visit MyCHN.org. Schedule an appointment with one of our providers, and they will guide you through the next steps.
Make an appointment today and continue to do your research on music therapy for adolescents with autism.
