ERIC Number: EJ1373413
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1699-5880
EISSN: EISSN-1696-2095
Available Date: N/A
Promoting Communication for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Family-Centered Music Therapy Intervention
Vaiouli, Potheini; Andreou, Georgia
Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, v20 n58 p533-560 2022
Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a continuum of traits that may negatively affect social and emotional competencies of individuals, including challenges in their engagement abilities, possible limitations in reciprocal interactions, and inflexibility in initiating and sustaining communication. Such challenges may affect language development and speech acquisition. Considering their importance, this study explored the impact of a family-centered, music therapy intervention to promote preverbal and verbal communication skills of young children with ASD during parent-child, music engagement episodes. Method: A mixed-methods design was implemented to gather data on the children's preverbal and verbal communication abilities (pre-and-post intervention data collection) and on each dyad's musical interactions during a 16-week music therapy intervention. Quantitative outcome measures included children's scores on the Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills (PPECS) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBSDP), to assess children's communication, expressive speech, and symbolic behavior over time. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, logs, and journaling. Results: Reports from the families corroborate with quantitative results regarding changes on the children's communication abilities after the intervention. Discussion and Conclusion. Collectively, the current study provides evidence on the potential of using music therapy interventions within a family-centered approach to enhance young children's preverbal and verbal communication skills.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Music Therapy, Nonverbal Communication, Verbal Communication, Communication Skills, Parent Child Relationship, Parent Participation, Early Intervention, Parent Attitudes, Music Activities, Music, Preschool Children
University of Almeria, Education & Psychology I+D+i. Faculty of Psychology Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 LaCanada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain. Tel: +34-950-015354; Fax: +34-950-015083; Web site: http://ojs.ual.es/ojs/index.php/EJREP/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A