Autism and Family-Centered Approaches in and through Music
Thompson, G., Lisboa, T., & Ockelford, A. (2023). Autism and Family-Centered Approaches in and through Music. In The Oxford Handbook of Early Childhood Learning and Development in Music (pp. 949-966). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190927523.013.54
This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:
Authors
Abstract
Abstract Music practitioners with various qualifications, including music therapists and music educators, acknowledge that musical experiences offer a form of expression, interaction, and understanding that do not rely on words. Musical interactions and engagement may therefore offer a valuable context that can support diverse forms of communication and connection in early childhood that are advantageous for child development. The potential benefits of music participation for children on the autism spectrum are illustrated through descriptions of two distinct approaches: the Sounds of Intent framework, which aims to identify and promote music engagement and musical development over time; and family-centered music therapy, which aims to foster the child’s development and strengthen parent-child relationships. The dual perspectives presented in this chapter highlight possible benefits both in music and also through music for other areas of development, such as social communication, language, and cognition.
Bibliography cited by this reference
Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.
Bibliography inclusion overview
These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.
-
Peter Simpkins (1978). Creative music therapy, individualized treatment for the handicapped child . Art Psychotherapy, 5(1), 39-40. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Mary D. Salter Ainsworth , Silvia M. Bell (1970). Attachment, Exploration, and Separation: Illustrated by the Behavior of One-Year-Olds in a Strange Situation . Child Development, 41(1), 49. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Mechthild Papoušek (1996). Intuitive parenting: a hidden source of musical stimulation in infancy . In Musical beginnings (pp. 88-112). Oxford University Press.Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523321.003.0004 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2479491172Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Amelia Oldfield (2006). Interactive Music Therapy in Child and Family Psychiatry: Clinical Practice, Research and Teaching .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W604760274Crossref OpenAlex
-
N. Allgood (2005). Parents' Perceptions of Family-based Group Music Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders . Music Therapy Perspectives, 23(2), 92-99. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Johannella Tafuri , Graham Welch , Elizabeth Hawkins (2009). Infant Musicality: New Research for Educators and Parents .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W635700799Crossref OpenAlex
-
(1978). Music therapy for the autistic child . Music therapy for the autistic child.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Amy M. Wetherby , Barry M. Prizant (2000). Autism spectrum disorders: a transactional developmental perspective .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W658612580Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®) . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Gary Ansdell (1995). Music for Life: Aspects of Creative Music Therapy with Adult Clients .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1504229128Crossref OpenAlex
-
Massimo Ammaniti , Pierfrancesco Ferrari (2013). Vitality Affects in Daniel Stern's Thinking—A Psychological and Neurobiological Perspective . Infant Mental Health Journal, 34(5), 367-375. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Juliette Alvin , Auriel Warwick (1992). Music Therapy for the Autistic Child . Oxford University PressOxford.OpenAlex
-
(2009). The transactional model of development: How children and contexts shape each other. American Psychological Association.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Łucja Bieleninik , Maj‐Britt Posserud , Monika Geretsegger , Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Cochavit Elefant , Christian Gold (2017). Tracing the temporal stability of autism spectrum diagnosis and severity as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: A systematic review and meta-analysis . PLOS ONE, 12(9), e0183160. Public Library of Science (PLoS).
-
(1969). Attachment and loss . Attachment and loss.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Jenny Yu Kuan Chiang (2021). Music Therapy for Young Children Who Have Special Needs: the Music Therapy Experience from the Perspectives of Carers and Professionals . Music therapy for young children who have special needs: The music therapy experience from the perspectives of carers and professionals. Victoria University of Wellington Library.Crossref OpenAlex
-
John Carpente (2016). Investigating the Effectiveness of a Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) Improvisational Music Therapy Program on Social Communication for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Music Therapy Perspectives, miw013. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Hannah H. Schertz , Samuel L. Odom , Kathleen M. Baggett , John Sideris (2013). Effects of Joint Attention Mediated Learning for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: An initial randomized controlled study . Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28(2), 249-258. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2002). Interrelations among social-cognitive skills in young children with autism. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Anthony J. DeCasper , William P. Fifer (1980). Of Human Bonding: Newborns Prefer Their Mothers' Voices . Science, 208(4448), 1174-1176. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2012). The social motivation theory of autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katrina Skewes McFerran (2015). “We’ve got a special connection”: qualitative analysis of descriptions of change in the parent–child relationship by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder . Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 24(1), 3-26. Informa UK Limited.
-
Chung-Hsin Chiang , Wei-Tsuen Soong , Tzu-Ling Lin , Sally J. Rogers (2008). Nonverbal Communication Skills in Young Children with Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(10), 1898-1906. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Mechthild Papoušek , Hanuš PapouŠek (1989). Forms and functions of vocal matching in interactions between mothers and their precanonical infants . First Language, 9(6), 137-157. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Patricia K. Kuhl (2004). Early language acquisition: cracking the speech code . Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5(11), 831-843. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Kathleen A. Corrigall , Laurel J. Trainor (2014). Enculturation to musical pitch structure in young children: evidence from behavioral and electrophysiological methods . Developmental Science, 17(1), 142-158. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Laura Schreibman , Géraldine Dawson , Aubyn C. Stahmer , Rebecca Landa , Sally J. Rogers , Gail G. McGee et al. (2015). Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: Empirically Validated Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8), 2411-2428. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Herwig Czech (2018). Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and “race hygiene” in Nazi-era Vienna . Molecular Autism, 9(1), 29-29. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Ty Vernon (2014). Fostering a Social Child with Autism: A Moment-By-Moment Sequential Analysis of an Early Social Engagement Intervention . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(12), 3072-3082. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Amelia Oldfield , Katy Bell , Jonathan Pool (2012). Three families and three music therapists: Reflections on short term music therapy in child and family psychiatry . Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 21(3), 250-267. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2018). Music therapists’ perceptions regarding music’s role in the treatment of children with high functioning autism . Music therapists’ perceptions regarding music’s role in the treatment of children with high functioning autism.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Thomas Bergmann (2015). Music Therapy for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Oxford University Press.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Colwyn Trevarthen (2005). First things first: infants make good use of the sympathetic rhythm of imitation, without reason or language . Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 31(1), 91-113. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
(2011). Why early intervention works: A systems perspective. Infants and Young Children.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Esther Mang (2005). The referent of children's early songs . Music Education Research, 7(1), 3-20. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
(1986). The developmental psychology of music . The developmental psychology of music.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Joëlle Provasi , Anne Bobin-Bègue (2003). Spontaneous motor tempo and rhythmical synchronisation in 2½- and 4-year-old children . International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(3), 220-231. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
M. A. M. M. van Tongerloo , P. J. M. van Wijngaarden , R. J. van der Gaag , A. L. M. Lagro-Janssen (2015). Raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: 'If this were a partner relationship, I would have quit ages ago' . Family Practice, 32(1), 88-93. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Horvat, J., & O’Neill, N. (2008). “Who is the therapy for?”: Involving a parent or carer in their child’s music therapy. In A. Oldfield & C. Flower (Eds.), Music therapy with children and their families (pp. 89–101). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Type: OtherCrossref
-
ALBERT C. SHERWIN (1953). REACTIONS TO MUSIC OF AUTISTIC (SCHIZOPHRENIC) CHILDREN . American Journal of Psychiatry, 109(11), 823-831. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.Crossref OpenAlex
-
(1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact . Nervous Child.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Anne A. Poulsen , Sylvia Rodger , Jenny M. Ziviani (2006). Understanding children's motivation from a self‐determination theoretical perspective: Implications for practice . Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 53(2), 78-86. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jinah Kim , Tony Wigram , Christian Gold (2009). Emotional, motivational and interpersonal responsiveness of children with autism in improvisational music therapy . Autism, 13(4), 389-409. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Coralie Chevallier , Gregor Kohls , Vanessa Troiani , Edward S. Brodkin , Robert T. Schultz (2012). The social motivation theory of autism . Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 231-239. Elsevier BV.OpenAlex
-
Sebastian Kirschner , Michael Tomasello (2009). Joint drumming: Social context facilitates synchronization in preschool children . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102(3), 299-314. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Maria Legerstee (1990). Infants use multimodal information to imitate speech sounds . Infant Behavior and Development, 13(3), 343-354. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Stephen Rushton (2011). Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We are Doing it Right! Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(2), 89-94. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Lillard, A. (2015). The development of play. In R. M. Lerner, L. Liben, & U. Müller (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science, Cognitive processes (Vol. 2) (7th ed., pp. 425–468). Hoboken NJ: Wiley.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Marie L. Rocha , Laura Schreibman , Aubyn C. Stahmer (2007). Effectiveness of Training Parents to Teach Joint Attention in Children With Autism . Journal of Early Intervention, 29(2), 154-172. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Tânia Lisboa , Caitlin Shaughnessy , Angela Voyajolu , Adam Ockelford (2021). Promoting the Musical Engagement of Autistic Children in the Early Years Through a Program of Parental Support: An Ecological Research Study . Music & Science, 4. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2005). The referent of children’s early songs. Music Education Research.Type: OtherCrossref
-
A. E. Reschke-Hernandez (2011). History of Music Therapy Treatment Interventions for Children with Autism . Journal of Music Therapy, 48(2), 169-207. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
(1968). The musical experiences of the pre-school child . The musical experiences of the pre-school child.Type: OtherCrossref
-
A. Vogiatzoglou , Adam Ockelford , G. Welch , E. Himonides (2011). Sounds of Intent: Interactive Software to Assess the Musical Development of Children and Young People With Complex Needs . Music and Medicine, 3(3), 189-195. International Association for Music and Medicine.Crossref OpenAlex
-
L. S. Vygotsky (1967). Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child . Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6-18. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
L Kanner (1968). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Acta Paedopsychiatr, 35(4), 100.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2192638454OpenAlex
-
Amelia Oldfield , Lucy Bunce (2001). ‘Mummy Can Play Too…’ Short-Term Music Therapy with Mothers and Young Children . British Journal of Music Therapy, 15(1), 27-36. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Léo Kanner (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact . Nervous Child, 2(3), 217.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2255119171OpenAlex
-
Penny Warren , Natalie Nugent (2010). The Music Connections Programme: Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Involvement in Music Therapy . New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 8(8), 8.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2271908212Crossref OpenAlex
-
Graham F. Welch (2014). The Musical Development and Education of Young Children . In Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children (pp. 269-286). Routledge.OpenAlex
-
Edward T. Schwartzberg , Michael J. Silverman (2017). Parent perceptions of music therapy in an on-campus clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Musicae Scientiae, 21(1), 98-112. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Keith Swanwick , David J. Hargreaves (1987). The Developmental Psychology of Music . British Journal of Educational Studies, 35(3), 289. JSTOR.OpenAlex
-
Susan Hadley (2020). Music therapy with families: Therapeutic approaches and theoretical perspectives . Music Therapy Perspectives, 38(1), e13-e14. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
David Hargreaves , Alexandra Lamont (2017). The Psychology of Musical Development . Cambridge University Press.OpenAlex
-
Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… (2017). Long-term perspectives of family quality of life following music therapy with young children on the autism spectrum: a phenomenological study . Journal of Music Therapy, 54(4), 432-459. Oxford University Press (OUP).
-
Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Larry A. Abel (2018). Fostering Spontaneous Visual Attention in Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Proof‐of‐Concept Study Comparing Singing and Speech . Autism Research, 11(5), 732-737. Wiley.
-
Daniel N. Stern (2018). The Interpersonal World of the Infant . Routledge.OpenAlex
-
(1998). Vineland social-emotional early childhood scales manual . Vineland Social-Emotional Early Childhood Scales manual.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Emily Catherine Shanahan , Ian Gordon (2019). The role of music-based parent-child play activities in supporting social engagement with children on the autism spectrum: A content analysis of parent interviews . Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 28(2), 108-130. Informa UK Limited.
-
(1985). The interpersonal world of the infant . The interpersonal world of the infant.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Glenn T. Thompson (2018). Dramatic role play within improvisational music therapy: Joey’s story. In Minerva Access (University of Melbourne).Type: Book chapter OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2905091286OpenAlex
-
(2010). Forms of vitality . Forms of vitality.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3012180215Crossref OpenAlex
-
(2010). The issue of vitality. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Silberman S (2016). Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity . Choice Reviews Online, 53(08), 53-3753-53-3753. American Library Association.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Thompson, G. (2018a). Dramatic role play within improvisational music therapy: Joey’s story. In A. Oldfield & A. Carr (Eds.), Collaborations within and between dramatherapy and music therapy (pp. 31–51). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katrina Skewes McFerran , Christian Gold (2014). Family‐centred music therapy to promote social engagement in young children with severe autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled study . Child: Care, Health and Development, 40(6), 840-852. Wiley.AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref
-
(2007). First things first: Infants make good use of the sympathetic rhythm of imitation, without reason or language. Journal of Child Psychotherapy.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Trehub, S. E., & Gudmundsdottir, H. R. (2019). Mothers as singing mentors for infants. In G. F. Welch, D. M. Howard, & J. Nix (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of singing (pp. 455–470). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Type: OtherCrossref
-
(2016). Sounds of Intent in the Early Years: A proposed framework of young children’s musical development. Research Studies in Music Education.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Welch, G. (2006). The musical development and education of young children. In B. Spodek & O. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (pp. 251–267). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Welch, G., Ockelford, A., Zimmermann, S., & Wilde, E. (2016). The Provision of Music in Special Education (PROMISE) 2015. In G. Boal-Palheiros (Ed.), International perspectives on research in music education (pp. 292–303). London: ISME/SEMPRE/iMerc.Type: OtherCrossref
-
(1971). Playing and reality . Playing and reality.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Winter, P. (2012). Loud hands and loud voices. In J. Bascom (Ed.), Loud hands: Autistic people, speaking (pp. 115–128). Washington, DC: Autistic Press.Type: OtherCrossref
-
(2017). The psychology of musical development . The psychology of musical development.Type: OtherCrossref
-
(2016). NeuroDiversity: The birth of an idea . NeuroDiversity: The birth of an idea.Type: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). Sounds of Intent Framework: http://soundsofintent.org/Type: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). The Music in Everyday Life (MEL) assessment: https://mel-assessment.com/Type: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). The Australian Music Therapy Association: https://www.austmta.org.au/Type: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). The British Association for Music Therapy: https://www.bamt.org/Type: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). The World Federation of Music Therapy: https://www.wfmt.info/Type: OtherCrossref