Stimulating Speech with Music

By Caileen W.

An estimated 1 in 31 children in the United States have autism. [1] Of that population, 25-30% are nonverbal, meaning they don’t communicate with spoken language. But for these children, music may offer an alternative pathway to communicate. 

To begin, what is autism? Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning it affects the development of the brain, most commonly during the early years of childhood. Common symptoms include challenges with social and communication skills, such as spoken language, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, such as strict routines or stimming. The disorder is commonly attributed to both genetic and environmental factors, but scientists have yet to find a singular cause or indicator of autism. [3]

Despite not having a singular known cause, there are a variety of treatment methods currently being researched for autism, with a major treatment method being music therapy. 

In 2022, researchers published a study analyzing music therapy sessions with autism patients, and the effects of the therapy were astounding. [4]

During these sessions, children demonstrated increased attention and focus, spending significantly more continuous seconds looking at both the shared instrument and the therapist's face during synchronized music activities (such as matching a drum beat) compared to non-musical social activities. In addition, nonverbal children began to initiate communication with the therapist — offering mallets, tapping an instrument to signal their turn, or shifting their gaze to prompt the therapist to play next. [4]

In 2021, researchers published a study demonstrating even more significant results for autism patients. Nonverbal or minimally verbal children produced more communicative vocalizations — which include humming, babbling, or vocal imitations — during singing therapy sessions compared to standard spoken therapy. In addition, children who struggled with flat, monotone speech showed measurable gains in inflection, expressive pitch variations, and syllable pacing when repeating words set to musical rhythms. [5]

To conclude, though autism symptoms and treatments vary widely, music therapy is an accessible and surprisingly effective form of treatment to encourage communication and social connection for autism patients.

CITATIONS

1. Speaks, A. (2018, September 4). Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks. https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd

2. Roberts, T. P. L., Matsuzaki, J., Blaskey, L., Bloy, L., Edgar, J. C., Kim, M., Ku, M., Kuschner, E. S., & Embick, D. (2019). Delayed M50/M100 evoked response component latency in minimally verbal/nonverbal children who have autism spectrum disorder. Molecular Autism, 10(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0283-3

3. ‌Speaks, A. (2024, February 8). Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks. https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-causes-autism

4. ‌Ke, X., Song, W., Yang, M., Li, J., & Liu, W. (2022). Effectiveness of music therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 905113. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.905113

5. ‌Mayer-Benarous, H., Benarous, X., Vonthron, F., & Cohen, D. (2021). Music Therapy for Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder and/or Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 64323