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ASD, Music perception and Music Therapy (2015)

Helmke Jansen
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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.
typeresearch exposition
date01/01/2015
published26/05/2015
last modified26/05/2015
statuslimited publication
share statusprivate
licenseAll rights reserved
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/81963/81964
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue3. Internal publication
connected toKC Research Portal


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136344 ASD, music perception and music therapy, masterthesis Helmke Jansen, febr 2015 Helmke Jansen All rights reserved
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