Music Therapy for Children with Autism Effects
Some types of music believed to be beneficial to address the health problems, including autism. One of the advantages of music therapy is no need for verbal communication. In addition, music therapy also serves as an amplifier (reinforcer) naturally.
Here’s how the music therapy in helping people with autism.
1. Learn to express themselves
Autism children are not interested in social activities such a normal people. Therefore the use of music therapy can work well. Currently autistic children therapy sessions with a variety of music, they will get a chance to learn to express themselves. Although not known for sure how it works, but music therapy is promising.
2. Maintain and focusing attention
Another goal of music therapy helps children with autism maintaining and focusing attention. The therapist can play chords between tone, note, or a particular musical pitch and see the effect on the child. One example is to play the instrument near the face of a child.
In addition to helping improve attention span, music can also encourage eye contact with a child who is one of the important goals of treatment. Music therapy is a combination of auditory sensation, visual, and tactile. It is these factors that help stimulate the sensory organs of a child with autism.
3. Improving the ability to speak
Language is one important area that is problematic in the development of children with autism. Music therapy helps children improve speech mainly involving conceptualization, symbolization, and comprehension.
According to experts, the music is processed in both hemispheres. Therefore, music therapy can help autistic children improve cognitive function and their language skills. While following activities singing or dancing, children with autism is believed to begin communicating even if it is done only through singing.
This makes the music therapist aware of the fact that autistic children easier and faster welcoming sound of music rather than verbal command or physical approach. By conducting vocal music, speech therapists can improve an autistic child.
4. Develop non-verbal relationship that does not threaten
Children with autism are usually not responsive to the feelings of others; avoid physical contact such as hugging, and ignoring the social approach. Music therapy gives children the opportunity to build relationships that do not threaten the non-verbal through musical instruments. This is possible because of the sound, the look, and the shape of instruments to help children make the initial contact.
With the instrument as an intermediary, the therapist can gradually enter the “world” of children with autism. After successfully establishing a trustworthy relationship with the child, the therapist can apply a variety of musical techniques to attract child out of his world that ignores social contact.
However, the researchers also said there is a possibility of music therapy causes undesirable results. In some cases, it was found that the music worsen behavior “withdraw” and “self-isolation” in children with autism.
If not done carefully, controlled and structured, music therapy can actually encourage autistic children to go deeper into their world. Experts agree that the benefits of music therapy for autism involve a long and difficult process, so that both parents and therapists sometimes feel hopeless.
