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Music Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review

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Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can experience difficulties functioning in society due to social communication deficits and restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Music therapy has been suggested as a potential intervention used to improve these deficits in ASD. The current systematic literature review focuses on two methods of music therapy: improvisational music therapy (IMT) and singing/listening to songs. We review the extant literature and the associated methodological limitations, and we propose a framework to assess the effectiveness of music therapy as an intervention in ASD. We suggest the creation of a standardized framework that should utilize neuroimaging tools as an objective marker of changes induced by music therapy as well as a combination of functional and behaviourial outputs, rather than assessment methods addressing a broad range of functional and behavioural outputs, rather than only the main symptoms. The methodological limitations found in the current literature prevent us from making a strong statement about the effects of music therapy in autism. We consider treatment fidelity assessments as the key to successful future attempts to truly understand music therapy effects in ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Amparo V. Marquez-Garcia, Justine Magnuson & Sam Doesburg

  2. School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    James Morris

  3. Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

    Grace Iarocci

  4. Department of School of Interactive Art and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, Canada

    Sylvain Moreno

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  1. Amparo V. Marquez-Garcia
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  2. Justine Magnuson
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  3. James Morris
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  4. Grace Iarocci
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  6. Sylvain Moreno
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Correspondence to Amparo V. Marquez-Garcia.

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Marquez-Garcia, A.V., Magnuson, J., Morris, J. et al. Music Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord 9, 91–107 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00246-x

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