Increasing Positive Affect and Social Responsiveness in Children and Adolescents with
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Adaptation of a Music-Based Intervention in a School Setting
Dilshad Tung, Ruth Ellingsen, Lara Tucci, M.A., Istvan Molnar-Szakacs, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Laugeson, Psy.D.
The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance
UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Funded by the NAMM Foundation
BACKGROUND
Many children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) face
challenges in social and emotional behavior that may lead them to be isolated
from their peers, family and community (Bauminger and Kasari, 2000).
RESULTS
Table 1. Results of inter-rater reliability based on calculation of Cronbach’s
alpha (α)
Observational Domain
Music is an avenue of communication and social engagement that may come
easily to many youth with ASD, yet very little is known about the benefits of
music in promoting positive affect and social responsiveness. A review of
previous research (Whipple, 2004) indicates that music therapy may promote:
increased attention to task
increased communicative acts
 increased engagement with others
 enhanced body awareness and coordination
 improved symbolic play
 anxiety reduction
 increase in appropriate social behaviors
While music therapy can be costly and often unavailable to many children with
ASD, music education is often part of the public school curriculum and may be
more accessible. Although the positive impact of music therapy has been
reported in the research literature, little is known about the effectiveness of
music education in promoting positive affect and social responsiveness in
children with ASD.
DISCUSSION
Joint Attention
Inter-rater reliability using Cronbach’s
alpha (α)
.92
Language
.98
Negative Behavior
.97
Positive Affect
.99
Social Avoidance
.97
Social Responsiveness
.98
Results show significant differences across music and academic settings:
• Higher levels of positive affect in the music setting (p< .001)
• Higher levels of social responsiveness in the music setting (p<.001)
• Lower levels of joint attention in the music setting as compared to the
academic setting (p<.01)
METHODS
PARTICIPANTS
• N = 36 children and adolescents
• Confirmed ASD diagnosis
• Attending a non-public school for children with ASD
• Age: M = 11; 7 to 15 years of age
• Gender: 89% male (n = 32); 11% female (n = 4)
• Ethnicity: 38% Caucasian (n = 14); 38% Hispanic (n = 14); 24% Unspecified
(n = 8)
ORFF-SHULWERK MUSIC EDUCATION
Teachers utilized a structured music education program known as the OrffShulwerk method of music instruction (Orff-Schulwerk, 1963), which is
characterized by:
• A non-competitive atmosphere where making music with others is
considered a reward
• Singing, rhyming, clapping, and dancing as part of the instruction
• Promotion of group coordination and engagement
• Academic learning through musical engagement
• An emphasis on musical learning through creating, improvising, and imitating
•
•
•
Findings from the present study are limited due to small sample size, lack of
behavioral assessment of generalizability, and lack of assessment of maintenance
of treatment gains over time. Future studies may expand upon the current findings
by observing a greater number students in multiple settings across a longer span
of time .
The evidence gathered in this study and future studies may provide insights
needed to understand how to develop better evidence-based interventions and
music-based educational programs for youth with ASD, which may lead to the
development of the skills needed to create lasting social relationships.
The authors would like to thank the dedicated teachers, staff and families at
The Help Group for their support of the music classes and this research study.
We are grateful to the research assistants and interns at The Help Group –
UCLA Autism Research Alliance for facilitating the research.
We would also like to thank the National Association of Music Merchants
(NAMM) for making this study possible with their funding.
To examine the positive impact of a structured music education program in a
specialized day school program for children and adolescents with ASD.
•
These findings suggest the use of more structured music education in the school
setting may promote more prosocial behaviors in children and adolescents with
ASD, which in turn could provide these youth with useful tools for improved social
interaction and engagement with peers, family and community.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
MEASURES
Students participated in 30-minute structured music education classes daily
for four weeks (summer session)
Live behavioral observations of students were conducted in music and
academic classes by trained research assistants
Behaviors were coded in the following areas: joint attention, use of language,
negative behavior, positive affect, social avoidance and social
responsiveness
Inter-rater reliability was established across all domains through coding of
recorded class observations
Results suggest that the Orff-Schulwerk method of music instruction may
contribute to an increase in positive affect and social responsiveness in children
and adolescents with ASD. However, joint attention appears to be greater in more
formal academic settings in comparison to structured music education.
REFERENCES
Bauminger, N., & Kasari, C. (2000). Loneliness and friendship in highfunctioning children with autism. Child Development, 71(2), 447-456.
Orff, C., & Walter, A. (1963). The Schulwerk: Its origin and aims. Music
Educators Journal, 49(5), 69-74.
Shamrock, M. (1997). Orff Schulwerk an integrated foundation. Music Educators
Journal, 83(6)
Trevarthen, C. (2000) Autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting
communication and learning in early childhood: Prenatal origins, postnatal
course and effective educational support. Prostoglandins, Leucotrines and
Essential Fatty Acids, 63(1/2), 41-46.
Whipple, J. (2004). Music intervention for children and adolescents with
autism: A meta-analysis. Journal of Music Therapy, 41, 90-106.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information about this study, please contact
Dilshad Tung at alliance@thehelpgroup.org or (818) 778-7133
Results revealed no significant differences between the music and academic
settings for the following domains:
• Language
• Negative Behavior
• Social Avoidance