The Effects of Parent-Child Interactive Music Therapy on Sentence Verbalisation in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study

Authors

  • Charoenphol Chanyanit College of Music, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand
  • Natee Chiengchana Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand
  • Nion Tayrattanachai College of Music, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37134/mjm.vol8.5.2019

Keywords:

Autism spectrum disorder, interactive music therapy, parent-child interaction, sentence verbalisation

Abstract

This study examined the effects of parent-child interactive music therapy on sentence verbalisation in a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and was conducted via a case study design. The participants were a boy with autism spectrum disorder and his mother. The child and his mother attended interactive music therapy sessions that provided singing, instrument playing, songwriting, and movement. Twelve sessions were conducted during this study consisting of two initial assessments and 10 intervention sessions. The initial assessments determined the child’s behaviour while in an environment with music and his preferred music. The intervention sessions consisted of two parts to enhance the child’s sentence verbalisation. The first part aimed to teach and assess words through pre-composed songs. The second part aimed to motivate the child’s sentence verbalisation using one selected song and measured the verbalisation score using a verbalisation rating scale. The results showed the effectiveness of parent-child interaction on the child’s ability to focus on verbalisation through a combination of singing and movement activities. The child’s verbalisation was clearer and more accurate after attending singing activities with his mother as she held the child in her arms and together engaged in physical interaction. His average verbalisation score increased from 1.33 to 3, presenting an improvement of his verbalisation from verbalising single words to verbalising three-word sentences that included a subject, verb, and object.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Charoenphol Chanyanit, College of Music, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand

Chanyanit Charoenphol is a candidate for the Master of Music degree in music therapy at the College of Music at Mahidol University, Thailand. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in classical music performance from the College of Music, Mahidol University, Thailand. She is currently a classical guitar teacher at the Thailand Guitar Society of Bangkok in Thailand.

Natee Chiengchana, Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand

Natee Chiengchana is an assistant professor in Music Education at Ratchasuda College at Mahidol University in Thailand. He has extensive experience as a music educator and music therapist in the area of exceptional children. His research interests focus on inclusive music education and music therapy, music for children with autism, children with behaviour or emotional disorders, and children with hearing loss.

Nion Tayrattanachai, College of Music, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhonpathom, 73170 Thailand

Ni-on Tayrattanachai is a lecturer, researcher and advisor in music education at the College of Music, Mahidol University. She is also a reviewer for several music journals, and the Chair of Thailand International Music Examination (TIME). She received her doctoral degree and masters degree in music education from the College of Music, Mahidol University and a bachelor’s degree in piano performance under the guidance of Janida Tangdajahiran.

References

American Music Therapy Association. (2007). What is music therapy? Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Autism Society. (2017). What is autism? Retrieve from http://www.autism-society.org

Baxter, H. T., Berghofer, J. A., MacEwan, L., Nelson, J., Perters, K., & Roberts, P. (2007). The individualized music therapy assessment profile: Imtap. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Benson, S. (2016). What is autism spectrum disorder?. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/autism/what-is-autism-spectrum-disorder

Bunt, L., & Pavlicevic, M. (2001). Music and emotion: Perspectives from music therapy. In P. N. Juslin & J. A. Sloboda (Eds.), Series in affective science. Music and emotion: Theory and research (pp. 181-201). New York, NY, US: Oxford University Press.

Centers of disease control and prevention (2018). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

Centers of disease control and prevention. (2018). Autism prevalence slightly higher in CDC’s ADDM network. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0426-autism-prevalence.html#socialMediaShareContainer

Chiengchana, N., & Trakarnrung, S. (2014). The effect of Kodály-based music experiences on joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorders. Asian Biomedicine, 8(4), 547-555. doi: 10.5372/1905-7415.0804.326

Colwell, C. M., & Murlless, K. D. (2002). Music activities (singing vs. chanting) as a vehicle for reading accuracy of children with learning disabilities: A pilot study. Music Therapy Perspectives, 20 (1), 13-19.

Davis, W., Gfeller, K., & Thaut, M. (2008). Introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice (3rd Ed.) Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.

Farmer, K. J. (2003). The effect of music vs. non-music paired with gestures on spontaneous verbal and nonverbal communication skill of children with autism ages 1-5. Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations, Paper 4502.

Gfeller, K. E. (2002). Music as communication. In R. F. Unkefer & M. H. Thaut (Eds.), Music therapy in the treatment of adults with mental disorders: Theoretical bases and clinical interventions (pp. 42–59). St. Louis, MO: MMB Music, Inc.

Kaenampornpan, P. (2015). The inclusion of the family members as primary carers in music therapy sessions with children in a special education centre; How does this help the child and the carer? (Doctoral dissertation, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom). Retrieved from https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/550334/

Kaplan, R. S., & Steele, A. L. (2005). An analysis of music therapy program goals and outcomes for clients with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. Journal of Music Therapy, 42 (1), 2-19.

Kawinnithiporn, C., Chiengchana, N., & Tayrattanachai, N. (2018). The effect of music therapy on expressive communication skill in a child with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Ratchasuda College for Research and Development of Persons with Disabilities, 7(1), 15-31.

Kern, P., & Humpal, M. (2013). Early childhood music therapy and autism spectrum disorders: Developing potential in young children and their families. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Kern, P., Wolery, M., & Aldride, D. (2007). Use of song to promote independence in morning greeting routine for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1264-1271. doi: 10.1007/s10803-006-0272-1

King, B. (2004). Music Therapy: Another path to learning and communication for children on the autism spectrum. Arlington, VA: Future Horizons Inc.

Lee, L., & Ho, H.-J. (2018). Exploring Young Children’s Communication Development through the Soundbeam Trigger Modes in the ‘Holistic Music Educational Approach for Young Children’ Programme. Malaysian Journal of Music, 7, 1-19. Retrieved from http://ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/MJM/article/view/835

Lim, H. A. (2010). Effect of “developmental speech and language training through music” on speech production in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Music Therapy, 47 (1), 2-26. doi:10.1093/jmt/thu012

McIntyre, J. (2009). Interactive family music therapy: Untangling the system. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 30 (4), 260-268.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2018). Autism spectrum disorder: Communication problems in children. Retrieved from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/autism-spectrum-disorder-communication-problems-children

Oldfield, A. (2006). Interactive music therapy – A positive approach: Music therapy at a child development centre. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Oldfield, A. (2006a). Interactive music therapy in child and family psychiatry: Clinical practice, research and teaching. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Pasiali, V. (2012). Supporting parent-child interactions: Music therapy as an intervention for parenting mutually responsive orientation. Journal of Music Therapy, 49(3), 303-334.

Perry, M. M. R. (2003). Relating improvisational music therapy with severely and multiply disabled children to communication development. Journal of Music Therapy, 40(3), 227-246.

Raising Children Network. (2017). Communication: Children with autism spectrum disorder. Retrieved from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_communication.html

Raising Children Network. (2017). Speech-generating devices (SGDs). Retrieved from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/speech-generating_devices_th.html

Seybold, C. D. (1971). The value and use of music activities in the treatment of speech delayed children. Journal of Music Therapy, 8(3), 102-110.

Schulberg, C. H. (1981). The music therapy sourcebook: A collection of activities categorized and analyzed. New York, NY: Human Sciences Press, Inc.

Silverman, C. (2008). Fieldwork on another planet: Social science perspectives on the autism spectrum. BioSocieties, 3(3), 325-341.

Thaut, M. H., Hurt-Thaut, C., & LaGasse, A. B. (2008). Music therapy for neurologic rehabilitation. In W. Davis, K. Gfeller, & M. Thaut (Eds.) An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice (3rd Edition). Silver Spring, MD: The American Music Therapy Association.

Trangkasombat, U. (2007). Help autistic child (2nd Ed.). Bangkok: Family R&D Co., LTD.

World Federation of Music Therapy. (2011). What is music therapy?. Retrieved from https://www.wfmt.info/wfmt-new-home/about-wfmt/

Wright, A. (2013). Communication in children with autism spectrum disorder-part 2. Retrieved from http://theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org/communication-in-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-part-2/

Yang, Y. (2016). Parents and young children with disabilities: The effects of a home-based music therapy program on parent-child. Journal of Music Therapy, 53 (1), 27-54. doi:10.1093/jmt/thv018

Downloads

Published

22-11-2019

How to Cite

Chanyanit, C., Chiengchana, N., & Tayrattanachai, N. (2019). The Effects of Parent-Child Interactive Music Therapy on Sentence Verbalisation in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study. Malaysian Journal of Music, 8, 86–95. https://doi.org/10.37134/mjm.vol8.5.2019