Neuroplasticity, Music Therapy & Autism: A New Frontier of Hope & Discovery!

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In my last post, Autism and Neuroplasticity I talked about how Neuroplasticity can play a major role in helping the ASD population. It is exciting as more and more people are exploring the effectiveness of alternative interventions that are non-pharmacological and non-invasive. With recent studies they are learning how neuroplasticity plays a role in creating new pathways into once dormant areas of the brain. Such studies are giving hope to many neurological ailments.

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Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
-Confucius

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Also in my last article I wrote about Dr. Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain’s Way of Healing where he discusses treatments of four types of conditions. One area of interest is the 4th category, dealing with attention deficit disorders, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, & sensory integration disorders. He felt that using music and voice with changing frequencies can be used to stimulate dormant brain circuits. When we hear a sound, the ear will convert this information of patterns of sound energy into patterns of electrical energy. The neurons begin to fire in sync, and then we can shape its circuitry. However, with many autistic children, they have a hypersensitivity to sound because the normal ear to brain circuit that has an ”auditory zoom” which allows it to hone in on human speech frequencies while screening out low and threatening sounds, does not work properly. Because of this, you will see many autistic children in a fight-or flight state where they scream and cover their ears thereby preventing them from being able to socially engage. Dr. Doidge believes that by using listening therapy will help train this auditory zoom circuit” so that children can eventually hear speech better and have a greater ability to socially connect.

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So based on all of the above, it would be important for us to look into music therapy as a non-invasive therapeutic intervention for the autistic child. Our first question we should ask is, What is music therapy? According to Music Therapy.org (https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy) “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.”

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According to this article Music Therapy is an established health profession which uses music in a therapeutic way to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals. The therapist will first assess the strengths and needs of each child they see and then create a treatment that may include creating, singing, moving to and/or listening to music. It is believed that when the child is engaged in the process with active participation, his/her abilities can be strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. It also noted that music therapy provides the channels for communication that can facilitate the children’s ability to express themselves in words. There has been research done in the realm of music therapy that supports its effectiveness in areas such as physical rehabilitation and movement facilitation, increasing motivation to become engaged, providing emotional support for the clients and their families and a good outlet to express feelings.

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In another article called ”Your Brain on Music Part 2: Autism, Music and the Brain” by Musical Bridges Music Therapy (http://www.musicalbridgesmt.com/2014/04/14/your-brain-on-music-part-2-autism-music-and-the-brain) it gave some supported ways music can help with learning, communication and emotional processing:

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“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
–Berthold Auerbach

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Music can aid learning and memory

According to this article, researchers have found the brains of children with autism to have disturbances in development of the cortex, the area of the brain which is critical for learning and memory. They also found patches in various places of the cortex which may explain why the symptoms of autism are so different from child to child. Music has been found to be a whole brain process so it can help to facilitate memory retention and because music processes across the cerebral cortex, neurological bypasses are possible which can aid the child with autism in learning by stimulating multiple areas of the brain at once which is usually not the case for non- musical settings. It is also felt that because music tends to increase memory, it can help the autistic child retain information easier if it is taught through music. A good example of this is the case where children learn their ABCs by singing the ABC song.

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“Music is therapy.
Music moves people.
It connects people in ways that no other medium can.
It pulls heart strings.
It acts as medicine.”
-Macklemore

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Musical training can aid in restructuring of the brain to aid with communication

Per Wan and Schlaug, language deficits may be due to abnormalities or altered connections in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain. It has been shown that with long term instrumental practice, parts of the brain become larger. Because music has the ability to create these changes, this may be why children with autism gain communication skills with musical intervention. Music may be a very valuable method because of its ability to aid in language development. Finally music is often very enjoyable and motivating for the autistic participants so it truly can enhance therapy goals and be fun at the same time.

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“Music is an art that goes well beyond science.
Proof can be found in the huge amount of studies
that have been carried out throughout the world
based on music-therapy and the important results achieved.”
-Andrea Bocelli

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Music accesses emotional centers of the brain

It is a well-known fact that children with autism usually have difficulty processing emotions. Because music is a multi-sensory experience it can evoke emotions in autistic children, which will help them in therapy. There is evidence that shows musical stimuli activates areas of the brain including the insular and cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the amygdala, all areas involved with emotional processing. So according to this article, by using a stronger stimuli to activate the emotions, progress can be made towards processing understanding and expression of emotions which can often be difficult for the individual with autism.

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So all of the above shows tremendous potential of Music Therapy in assisting the children with ASD. Again because it is non-invasive and non-pharmacological, parents now have other alternative interventions to try with their autistic children. With the growth in Neuroplasticity research, more and more ways are being developed to enhance the brains ability to heal itself while giving hope to those who suffer from neurological problems.

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This will end my series on The World of Autism. I tried to bring to light the difficult journey children of ASD have along with their parents / family & caregivers. New research is being done regarding Neuroplasticity and it is hoped that one day we will get closer to helping these individuals with autism achieve a more independent and fulfilling life. Once again thank-you for following me through this journey in the area of Autism. If you would like to follow me, please check HERE.

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These are my previous articles on Autism if you’re interested in reading them:

The World of Autism: A Series On Autism & It’s Challenges & Hopes: https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/the-world-of-autism-a-series-on-autism-and-it-s-challenges-and-hopes

The World of Autism – The Series Continues: Types of Autism & Treatments:
https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/the-world-of-autism-the-series-continues-types-of-autism-and-treatments

The World of Autism: Therapeutic Interventions For Autism Spectrum Disorder:
https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/the-world-of-autism-therapeutic-interventions-for-autism-spectrum-disorder

The World of Autism: Therapeutic Interventions Part 2:
https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/the-world-of-autism-therapeutic-interventions-part-2

Autism and Neuroplasticity: A New Hope?:
https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/autism-and-neuroplasticity-a-new-hope

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