Music therapy for autism spectrum disorder: does it have a role?
Journal
BJPsych Advances
Year
2025
Abstract
Music therapy attempts to facilitate communication and expression – core problems for autistic people – through the development of experiences and relationships mediated by music. This commentary assesses a Cochrane Review of the effects of music therapy, compared with placebo or standard care, for autistic people, and its conclusion that music therapy is probably associated with an increased chance of global improvement and perhaps a slight increase in quality of life and reduction in total autism symptom severity in the short to medium term. The review was not able to examine longer-term effects as the longest follow-up period was 12 months. The certainty of the evidence was graded from moderate to very low, and therefore the results need to be viewed with caution.
Music and Health Institute Terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder; Music Therapy; Interpersonal Relations; Behavioral State; Quality of Life
Indexed Terms
Autism spectrum disorder; child and adolescent mental health; neurodevelopmental disorder; therapeutic approaches
Study Type
Editorials; Opinions; Position Papers
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Davies, E., & King, R. (2025). Music therapy for autism spectrum disorder: does it have a role?. BJPsych Advances, 31 (1), 3-7. Retrieved from https://remix.berklee.edu/mhi-citations/1905