META SYNTHESIS ON AUTISM AND MUSIC

Abstract

Music is a form of expression that allows the communication of emotions and thoughts through sound. Studies have shown that children who receive music education and learn to play a musical instrument at a young age experience positive effects on their brain development, hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. The beneficial effects of music interventions, which have been observed in typically developing children, are also known to be effective in children with autism, who require special education. This research aims to conduct a meta-synthesis study on articles related to autism and music. A meta-synthesis model was employed, and data were collected through document analysis. A total of 12 studies published in 2017 and onwards, obtained from the PubMed database using the keywords "autism and music," and with open access and musical applications, formed the sample of the research consisting of 433 data points. Data were analyzed using content analysis, and the derived themes constituted sub-problems. The findings were reported through sub-problems to draw conclusions. According to the research results, it was observed that the examined studies primarily employed a sample and controlled pretest-posttest design. All studies included autism diagnostic assessment scales, and in addition, social skills assessment scales were the most frequently used. The age range of the participants varied from 2 to 12 years, with a focus on individuals with mild to moderate autism. The musical applications examined in the studies involved singing, listening, instrument playing, vocal and instrumental improvisation, and music therapy methods. Structured or familiar songs, Orff instruments, classical music compositions, and rhythmic patterns were commonly used as materials in these applications. Furthermore, it was found that music therapists were accompanied by physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, music teachers, and music specialists in the studies. The musical interventions were determined to enhance the social skills, social communication, behavioral disorders, speech and language skills, and motor skills of individuals with autism. However, as there were studies yielding negative results within the scope of this research, conducting a greater number of studies on the topic is recommended.

Keywords

• autism and music
• music therapy
• meta synthesis
• pubmed