Running Head Music Therapy for Children with Autistic Spectrum Di.docx

Running Head: Music Therapy for Children with Autistic
Spectrum Disorder 1
Music Therapy for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder 3
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Abstract
Music therapy is a clinical and research-based use of music for
interventions to accomplish therapeutic healing by a registered
music therapist on a patient. The idea of music therapy is to
enable patients, who are unable to talk, to use musical activities
to express their emotions in songwriting, dancing, singing and
playing the musical instruments. To administer music therapy,
we require an approved therapist to assess the patients to
determine their therapeutic needs. The therapists then provide a
goal, schedule and times per week to visit the patient, performs
the therapy as planned and evaluates the success of the therapy
sessions at certain interval times. ASD is a combination of
developmental disorders that affect the skills, behaviors, and
levels of abilities in an individual. ASD affects both adults and

children. The disorder can be detected after three years for
children by their parents. In older children, the teachers or
family doctors may detect such symptoms. The earlier the
detection, the easier it will be to treat the disorder. For earlier
treatment, it is paramount parents to be vigilante on the
symptoms for ASD by consulting specialists in autism. The
symptoms are in the behavioral symptoms and social interaction
behaviors. ASD in children can be treated when caught earlier
in developmental stages. Children display similar symptoms to
ASD as adults with an addition of sensory problems, emotional
difficulties, and uneven cognitive abilities. The methods of
diagnosing to confirm ASD requires experts. Music therapy is
one of the treatment methods that has proven to be successful in
the treatment of children with ASD. Through the musical
activities administered by musical therapists, music therapy has
helped improve emotional responses, reduce anxiety in children,
and improve communication skills of these children in their
peer groups. Music therapy has shown that these children have
superior abilities compared to their peers. Music therapy is,
therefore, beneficial in the treatment of children with ASD and
should be considered just like any other treatment.
Music Therapy
Music therapy refers to the clinical and research-based use of
music for interventions to accomplish therapeutic healing and
relationship by a proven professional in the field of musical
therapy program in a higher education system ("Definition and
Quotes about Music Therapy", 2017). The therapeutic
relationship when using music addresses physical, emotional,
mental, cognitive and social needs of a person.
Music Therapy was initially used in the medical field for
children with special needs in the early-mid-1900s in the United
States. Its use then became widespread to the United Kingdom
in the 1950s to 1960s. The therapeutic intervention then spread
its reach to other parts of the world.
Idea behind Music Therapy
Music therapy has proven to give people who cannot easily

communicate, a way of interacting and communicating. That
instead of using words to talk, mainly if they cannot talk, they
can use a range of musical activities like singing, playing
instruments, songwriting and listening to music ("What is Music
Therapy?", 2012). These activities are aimed at promoting
social skills like making eye contact and communication like
drumming in sequences.
Music therapists use musical activities to teach new skills. The
integrating of new skills happens when they pair the skills with
a musical activity until the patient has learned to respond to the
cues. Gradually, once they learn the skills, the cues will fade.
When the patient has learned the skills, the music cues are
phased out.
Stages of Music Therapy
The administering of musical therapy is done professionally.
Music therapy involves the following stages ("Music therapy for
children with autism", 2017):
Therapeutic Assessment is done to the patients. Music therapy
assesses the needs and strengths of the patients. The therapist
may consult with the patient’s medical history or the patient’s
doctor to determine the presence of other ailments.
The therapist then sets goals to which musical instruments to
use and which activities to match for the patient. The Therapist
will provide a schedule to teach the patient, and the time it will
take to complete the therapy session.
The therapy the sets out to start the therapy sessions according
to the schedule they put forward to teach the patient. The
activities could include songwriting, moving to music, singing,
playing instruments, listening to music, working in groups, tap
dancing and improvising.
Evaluation of the program should regularly be conducted to
make sure that it is successful in teaching the patient. The
evaluations are like tests done to patients after a predetermined
time. The therapy sessions can either be one-on-one or in
groups. The session’s duration will depend on the needs and age
of the patients. For children, music therapy will take place once

a week for about 30-60 minutes. Those who have severe
conditions will take more extended sessions to make it
productive for the patient.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the term for a group of
developmental disorders. ASD comprises a broad spectrum of
symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in a person or a child.
People with ASD often display the following features like
difficulty socializing, communicating or interacting with other
people. People with ASD show repetitive behaviors or actions
with limited interests. They also might have symptoms that hurt
a person’s ability to be social at school or work or other areas
of their daily lives. ASD might show some the above symptoms
in children that are usually recognizable in the first two years of
their lives (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017).
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(2009) research, around 1 in 68 kids have been identified with a
form of ASD. Parents or doctors are often the first to identify
ASD behaviors in children and young adults. The school staff
may identify the behavioral symptoms for older children. There
are two main types of ASD behaviors: Restrictive/repetitive
behaviors and social communication/interaction behaviors
Restrictive/repetitive behaviors
These ASD behaviors may include repeating particular actions
or behaviors in certain moments. The individual may have an
overly focused interest in an activity such as a moving object.
The individual may also have a lasting and particular interest in
specific subjects and topics such as numbers, facts, or details in
art.
Social communication/interaction behaviors
These ASD behaviors may include getting enraged by a slight
change in a routine or even entering a new place with over
stimulating changes in light. The individuals may make little or
inconsistent eye contact with people in an enclosure. The
individuals may rarely share objects of enjoyment with others.
The individual may respond in a queer way when other show

anger, affection or distress. The individual may talk about a
favorite topic without noticing the disinterest in the group of
listeners. The individual may fail or be slow to respond to
someone calling their name to gain their attention. The
Individual may have facial expressions, gestures, and
movements that do not match what they say. The individual may
use odd words, that may be out of place, or that have special
meaning to those familiar with is a way of speech.
Aside from the symptoms of behaviors, ASD individuals are
unique and special because of their strengths and abilities that
may include having a gifted intellect. The CDC reports (2012)
suggest that 46% of ASD children have above average
intelligence. Individuals can learn most things in detail and
remember this information for a long time. The individuals have
a high visual and auditory ability to learn. The individuals excel
in Math, Science, Music, or Art subjects.
Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children
Every child with autism is on the autism spectrum and has
unique abilities, difficulties, challenges, and symptoms.
Knowing the various ASDs will help you better understand your
child as a parent. Knowing will help you get a handle on what
the different ASDs mean, and eventually, it will help one learn
to communicate with the doctors, teachers, and therapists who
will help your child (Smith, 2016).
Symptoms of ASD in Children
Having a few autism-like symptoms does not mean that a child
has autism. ASD is diagnosed based on the presence of multiple
symptoms that interrupt a child’s ability to communicate,
explore, play, form relationships and learn (Smith, 2016).
Symptoms based on their social behavior and understanding for
children include unusual or inappropriate body language, facial
expressions, and gesture that do not match what they say. The
child will show an absence of interest in other people’s
achievements or interests. The child prefers to be alone. The

child is resistant to direct contact. The child is unable to make
friends of the same age. The child has a difficulty understanding
other people’s feelings, reactions, and nonverbal cues.
Symptoms based on the speech and language for children
include a delay in learning how to speak or not speaking at all
after the age of two. The child may be speaking in an abnormal
tone, or odd pitch or rhythm. The child may have trouble
starting a conversation or sometimes keeping it going. The child
does not understand simple questions or statements. The child
may miss verbal cues such as humor, sarcasm, or irony.Children
with autism display similar symptoms with those of older
people with restricted behaviors and play.
Diagnosing ASD in Children
The road to a proper diagnosis of ASD in a child requires
parents to consult the qualified doctor or pediatrician. The
reason for an early clinical diagnosis is that it will increase the
child’s chances for overpowering his or her developmental
delays. Since the diagnosis of ASD is complicated, it requires a
specialist in autism who has trained and has experience in that
specialized areas. For parents, the person or specialists involved
in diagnosing children should include a child psychologist,
child psychiatrist, speech pathologist, audiologist, physical
therapist, music therapist, a developmental pediatrician and
special education teacher.
The process of diagnosing ASD in children is long. Multiple
tests will accurately pinpoint the child’s problems. For the
evaluation, tests include a parent interview, medical
examination, hearing test, observation of behaviors, lead
screening, adaptive functioning assessment, speech and
language evaluation, cognitive testing, and sensory-motor
evaluation. The tests will help further in determining the kind
of treatment the child needs.
The parental interview is the first phase of the diagnostic
evaluation. The parent gives a doctor or the specialist
background information about the child’s medical, behavioral,
and developmental history. The doctor will also ask to know

about the family’s mental and medical history. The medical
examination will have a physical, neurological, genetics and lab
testing. The medical exam will assist in determining the cause
of the developmental problems or the co-existing conditions.
The hearing test is done to determine hearing impairments or
sound sensitivities that concur with autism. A developmental
specialist to watch the behavior of the child in a variety of
settings to look for out of the ordinary behaviors that match
ASD symptoms will do an observation. Lead screening is done
to check for lead poisoning because it is recommended by the
National Center for Environmental Health and also because they
cause autistic-like symptoms.
A speech pathologist will evaluate the child’s speech pattern
and communication abilities to check on any indicators of
specific speech impairments or disorders. An intelligence test
will be given to the child for a cognitive assessment. An
adaptive functioning test is done to the child to evaluate their
problem-solving skills in real-life circumstances and their
ability to go about their daily tasks. Sensory-motor testing is
done since sensory dysfunction is a symptom of autism. A
physical therapist may assess the sensory processing skills of
the child.
Music Therapy for Children with ASD
Teachers or music therapists do music therapy for children by
integrating music with learning activities. For children with
ASD, music therapy uses the interactive musical activities to
improve the communication and social skills. Music has grown
to become a tool used in autism therapy because it stimulates
both halves of the brain, rather than one hemisphere. The
therapist uses a song or musical instrument to teach a cognitive
skill to a child to build self-awareness and improve their
interpersonal skills ("The Benefits of Music Therapy for
Autistic Children", 2017). Music encourages interaction and
socializing behavior which children with autism have difficulty.
The relationship between the child and the instrument will start
within, and the as the child learns which represents their

difficulty in interacting with others, but as they learn to bond
with the object first and the interaction with other instruments
in correlation. They can then open up to interaction with others
with their instruments as well.
What to Expect with Music Therapy in children with ASD
Music therapy will benefit children with autism since the
sessions involve a vital communication building exercise as
well as relaxing motivation and playtime (Hardy, 2013). The
music therapists give time for every skill they teach to children
with ASD to develop and flower with its activity. The therapists
will introduce one skill at a time whether it is singing, listening,
dancing, or even playing their sounds of the instrument. The
general atmosphere for each class or session is a safe learning
environment with patience.
Benefits of Music Therapy for Children with ASD
Research by Autism Society of America (2015) support the
benefits of music therapy for people with ASD. The research
highlights how individuals with autism show superior abilities
in labeling of emotions in music, pitch processing, and musical
preferences when compared to typically similar growing peers
(Isaacson, 2017).
The research further provides compelling evidence supporting
the clinical benefits of music therapy. Individuals with ASD
showed social-emotional responsiveness and communication,
including improved compliance, reduced anxiety, decreased
vocal stereotypy, increased speech output and improved
interaction with peers. The finding also provides evidence of
how much it assists in the learning of daily routines for people
with ASD.
The music therapy in the research has found out that the anxiety
felt by people with autism can be calmed through music. The
report shows how music therapy can reach learners with ASD
who often express themselves through repetitive behavior. The
therapeutic aspect of the music that calms them intentionally
creates a different mood that corresponds to the needs, tasks,
and engages their minds.

Another benefit of music therapy for children is how they can
be used to develop communication skills. Children with autism
who have difficulty communicating their emotions can use
music to identify how they feel and the therapists can teach
them the right facial expressions, introspective awareness, and
tones of voices that match them. Through learning to recognize
the appropriate emotional and behavioral response, children
with autism can have the competence, emotional and social
awareness that would not produce unwanted behaviors.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Prevalence
and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among
Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring Network(pp. 1-23). Atlanta, Georgia:
US Department of Human and Health Services. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/ss/ss6503a1.htm#sugge
stedcitation
Definition and Quotes about Music Therapy. (2017). American
Music Therapy Association. Retrieved 27 October 2017, from
https://www.musictherapy.org/about/quotes/
Hardy, M. (2013). Rhythm, Movement and Autism. Tuned Into
Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.tunedintolearning.com/rhythm-movement-and-
autism/
Isaacson, A. (2017). How Music Therapy Helps Learners with
ASD: Part Two. Autism Daily Newscast. Retrieved from
http://www.autismdailynewscast.com/how-music-therapy-helps-
learners-with-asd-part-two/2699/ashleyisaacson/
Music therapy for children with autism.
(2017). Raisingchildren.net.au. Retrieved 27 October 2017,
from
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/music_therapy_th.html
National Institute of Mental Health. (2017). Autism Spectrum

Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved 26
October 2017, from
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-
disorders-asd/index.shtml
Rosenberg, R., Law, J., Yonekyan, G., McGready, J., & Law, P.
(2009). Characteristics and concordance of autism spectrum
disorders among 277 twin pairs (10th ed., pp. 907-914). Arch
Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine.
Smith, M. (2016). Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Parent’s
Guide to Symptoms and Diagnosis on the Autism
Spectrum. HelpGuide.Org. Retrieved from
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-
disabilities/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm
The Benefits of Music Therapy for Autistic Children.
(2017). Nurse Journal: Social Community for Nurses
Worldwide. Retrieved 27 October 2017, from
https://nursejournal.org/community/the-benefits-of-music-
therapy-for-autistic-children/
What is Music Therapy?. (2012). Australian Music Therapy
Association. Retrieved 27 October 2017, from
https://www.austmta.org.au/content/what-music-therapy
Spectrum Disorder
1
Name:

Institution:
Professor:
Date of Submission:
Spectrum Disorder 1
Name:
Institution:
Professor:
Date of Submission:
This the assignment of part one and two:
Professional Learning Plan
The purpose of the Professional Learning Plan is for the
candidate to engage in on-going professional learning and self-

improvement and to collaborate with colleagues to create and
adopt research-based best practices to move his or her practice
forward.
Use your own self knowledge, feedback from the UAB
supervisor and cooperating/mentor teachers, the Practicum
Observation Form and/or the Informal Rating Form, Effective
practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation,
the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards, your self-
analysis of your teaching video, and your daily self-reflections
to assess your professional practice and evaluate interactions
with learners, parents, and other professionals of the learning
community. Develop a Professional Learning Plan (PLP) in
which you identify your individual goals for addressing areas of
weakness. The PLP will include: evidence to determine goals,
identification of targeted goals, a detailed plan and timeline of
research-based professional learning aligned with goals, and a
final reflection with evidence to support progress in reaching
identified goals. The PLP goals should be attainable over the
course of your practicum placement and should include the
following components:
· Description of evidence used to determine goals (i.e. student
teaching forms, feedback, self-reflection)
· Identification of areas of need/ weakness – Identify two
targeted goals or areas of need and describe how the deficit
could impact students if not addressed.
· Specific plan for addressing needs – For eachidentified area of
need above suggest 3 specific ways the need can be addressed
that will improve your skills and effectiveness as a teacher. This
can be done with bulleted lists, but must be specific. For
example, if your weakness is motivating non-readers, your plan
for improvement might be: 1) Attend ARI reading strategies
workshop, 2) Observe reading instruction in the regular
classroom of a National Board Certified teacher, and 3)
interview teacher about motivation strategies
· Timeline of research-based professional learning aligned with

goals
· Final reflection with evidence to support progress in reaching
identified goals
Professional Learning Plan
Spring, 2017
Part 1
A. Evidence Used to Determine Goal(s):
When engaging in the process of self-assessment to determine
areas of need, the following guiding questions are recommended
to help focus your self-reflection.
· How do my knowledge, skills, dispositions, and performances
measure up against my self-assessments?
· What skills would I like to learn or improve?
· What sources are available to me that provide further insights
related to my knowledge, skills, dispositions, and performances,
and priority areas to focus my professional development?
· Is there something that my supervising teacher/mentor is able
to do that I would like to master?
· Am I able to address the needs of all of the children and
families in the classroom?
· Are there curriculum areas that are not well represented in my
teaching?
· Are there specific student teaching competencies upon which I
would like to improve?
Describe how you determined your goals:
B: Goals/Identification of Areas of Need
Targeted Goal Areas
Goal 1:
Goal 2:

C: My Plan for Addressing Goal Areas
The following guiding questions are provided to assist you in
the planning process.
· What am I going to do to achieve my goals?
· What are the initial steps to begin my plan?
· What short-term (1 semester or less) activities should I plan to
achieve each of my goals?
· How will I make the time to do what I plan?
· What evidence will I collect to demonstrate fulfillment of my
plan and achievement of my professional development goals?
· How will I organize my evidence?
· What are my timelines for professional development activities
and outcomes?
Goal 1 Activities
I will engage in the following activities to achieve my goal:
1.
2.
3.
Goal 1 Documentation Plan
I will document my progress in enhancing my skills and
knowledge, dispositions and performance with the following
artifacts and/or outcomes:
Goal 1 Timeline
Below is my timeline for engaging in the activities to achieve
my goal:
Goal 1 Resources
The following resources may be necessary for me to achieve my
goal:
Goal 2 Activities
1.

2.
3.
Goal 2 Documentation Plan
Goal 2 Timeline
my goal:
Goal 2 Resources
goal:
Part 2 Final Reflection and Evidence
Below I have reflected on my professional growth and provided
evidence that I have attained my goals:

Here are your answers for PART 1
Professional Learning Plan (Part 1)
Part 1
A: Evidence Used to Determine Goal(s):
I determined my goals based on my teacher’s feedback and self-
assessment. I learned that I can address the needs of most of the
children and their families in the classroom. However, I need to
improve my instructional skills to enhance the learning process.
I also realized that I have difficulties adapting to mishaps and
last minute changes.
B: Goals/Identification of Areas of Need
Targeted Goal Areas:
Goal 1: Enhance instructional skills
Goal 2: Improve on flexibility skills
C: My Plan for Addressing Goal Areas

Goal 1 Activities:
1. Attend instructional skills workshop
2. Read articles and books on instructional skills
3. Use simple techniques such as good questioning when
teaching to test learning
Goal 1 Documentation Plan:
· Try new teaching approaches and assess their influence in
enhancing my teaching effectiveness.
· Assess student performance after using new teaching
approaches. If the students show improvement, then the new
teaching approaches are helpful and will continue to use those
teaching approaches and make improvements where necessary.
Goal 1 Timeline:
my goal:
· Attend a 2-days instructional skills workshop. Design and
conduct at least three mini-lessons and receive feedback from
peers.
· Read books and articles on enhancing instructional skills and
write down some key factors that will be meaningful within two
weeks.
Goal 1 Resources:
goal:
· Books and articles on instructional skills
· Professionals and peers to provide feedback
Goal 2 Activities:
1. Willingly change plans and ideas as desired
2. Adapt learning lessons to make learning positive for the class
3. Shift strategies to meet learning needs when facing
unexpected turns

Goal 2 Documentation Plan:
· My ability to shift focus when faced with learning challenges
· Think creatively and accomplish learning goals when
experiencing unexpected turns
Goal 2 Timeline:
my goal:
· Change testing formats and assess my ability to switch
between the different formats within three months.
· Assess my ability to change plans despite having well-
designed plans within three months.
Goal 2 Resources:
goal:
· Supportive teaching community
· An environment that embraces change
· Emotional intelligence

** I asked my teacher about PART 2:
Good morning Dr. Jack,
I have a question about the assignment Professional Learning
Plan (part 2), could you please explain more what should we
write in this section 2?
here is his answer, to know about what you will write in
PART2:
In your PLP part two you are supposed to reflect on the goals
you set at the beginning of the semester as part of one of your
PLP. You will want to self-evaluate your progress on those
goals, provide examples of experiences you have had that
support your progress of those goals, and discuss what your
future plans you have that are related to your original goals.
** Thanks a lot

Running Head Music Therapy for Children with Autistic Spectrum Di.docx

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