Name: Helmke Jansen
Main Subject: Classical Oboe, Orchestra master
Research Coaches: Anna Scott, Fleur Bouwer
Title of Research: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Music Perception and Music Therapy
Research Question: Is there a scientific basis for the use of music therapy in the ASD
population?
Summary of Results:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder causing deficits
in various domains including socio-emotional development, communication and
perception. It is known that people with ASD can be drawn to music, as also shown by
anecdotal evidence concerning musical savants. In addition, there is a higher incidence of
absolute pitch in people with ASD than in the normal population. With my expertise both
in music and clinical child and adolescent studies, I wondered whether there is a
scientific basis for the use of music therapy in the ASD population. According to a large
body of research, this is in fact the case. Processing deficits associated with ASD seem to
be less present for musical information. Despite characteristic difficulties in perceiving
emotions in the self and others, ASD causes no problems in perceiving emotions in
music. Perceiving details as well as global musical information, people with ASD are
very attentive listeners. The ASD brain seems to have a priority for musical over social
auditory information processing. Given the preference for a clear and structured
environment, music – as a highly structured stimulus - seems to calm and even reward the
ASD brain. Research on efficacy of music therapy interventions has shown
improvements in joint attention, eye contact, social engagement, socio-emotional
reciprocity, verbal communication, attention, and motivation. The strength of their
musical brain can be of great use in motivating and engaging people with ASD to work
on goals in all possible domains.
Biography:
Helmke Jansen began her student years at the University of Leiden in 2006, where she
studied Education and Child Studies combined with the minor Practicum Musicae at the
Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. During this minor it became more and more clear that
oboe was actually her real passion, and therefore she entered a fulltime program of
musical studies in 2009. This same year she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from
Leiden. After a few years focusing on music, she began the Master’s Program of Clinical
Child and Adolescent Studies, which led to the title of Master of Science in February
2014. Since 2014 she has been studying in the Orchestra Master’s Program of the Royal
Conservatoire in The Hague.