THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN AN AUTISTIC PERSON’S LIFE
Music is the universal language for communication and is an undeniably vital part of many people’s lives. It motivates us, helps us re-live memories and - more often than not - comforts us. As someone who’s on the spectrum himself, I regularly focus most of my energy on “masking” myself and merely coexisting with the neurotypical majority of the society, so it’s not uncommon for me to forget how differently neurodivergent people actually think to others. And it wasn’t long into my self-reflection on the role music has over my life and well-being before I started to wonder: Can music be used as an emotional tool to help autistic people, perhaps, deal with grief or pain? How different is that from neurotypical responses? What musical preferences do autistic people lean towards, if there even IS such a pattern? Here is what I found.
MUSIC THERAPY
To start, there is, in fact, such a thing as “music therapy”. Kenneth Bruscia defined it as a reflexive process where the therapist helps the client to optimise their health, which is achieved through changes induced by musical experiences and the therapeutic relationships formed through them.
Tipically, music therapy is provided through individual sessions, though it can also be performed in groups or in presence of family members (e.g. parents). Most commonly used therapy techniques include musical improvisation, singing songs and/or merely vocalization, listening to live music, listening to pre-recorded music, etc. In fact, the listening process often includes picking music that resonates with clients on a personal level, in order to reflect on associations and issues, driven out by that music.
So, can music therapy actually be beneficial to autistic people? Short answer: Yes! Music therapy has shown to improve both non-verbal and verbal communications (helping individuals relate to others and effectively share their feelings), behavioral skills (e.g. reciprocating behavior) and social interaction (in both a therapy setting and daily life). For example, a 2014 study review found that for 57 participants across three studies, in terms of generalized social interaction, about ¾ of the people in music therapy group ended with better social interaction scores than the average person in the control group. A 2022 update to the study review doubled down on the positive effects of music therapy and its safety, notably on increasing both self-esteem (abled to maintain months after therapy) and quality of life, as well as reducing total autism symptom severity.
In addition, music plays a big part in mood regulation. It is not uncommon to see people with autism use music to match their current emotional state or to improve their mood. There is, in fact, a music psychotherapy method called “the Iso Principle” based on a similar principle of using music to (first) match a client’s current emotional state and then guide them to a desired, positive state (by gradually shifting the music). Furthermore, there are instances of music therapy decreasing the frequency of self-injurious behavior and physical agitation caused by stress (e.g. vibroacoustic music). In general, participating in musical therapy can also help manage anxiety, depression, and agitation. So, such therapy helps both autistic and non-autistic people, it’s just able to help autistic people even more. It is of note, however, that effectiveness of musical therapy may vary depending on the individual and specific methods used.
GRIEF
Since music acts as tool to better interpret, communicate and address emotional needs, it can also be of valuable help in dealing with grief and loss. Losing a loved one is one of life’s greatest trials and autistic people can resort to many coping mechanisms: from seeking refuge in rituals, escapism and “stimming” to logical processing in comfort of isolation. However, in her book, “How People with Autism Grieve and How to Help”, Deborah Lipsky states the primary coping mechanisms for autistic individuals dealing with grief to be logic, predictability and routines. In fact, the material implies that focusing on facts and restoring order is more effective at dealing with grief than emotional or sensory-based interventions, such as music.
Nevertheless, there is a colossal advantage to music: it is immune to the constraints of verbal communication, as it is not a judgmental language. It is normal even for typically developed adults to avoid and have difficulties expressing uncomfortable emotions, let alone autistic people that struggle with verbal communication. As such, music can help autistic people process interpersonal dilemmas and connect with emotional states otherwise too difficult to describe, essentially serving as a bridge between processing grief and verbally expressing it. Not only can music act as an emotional catalyst, it can serve as a behavioral intervention during overwhelming circumstances. For example, a 2013 thesis from Allison Rayburn describes a case of a 9-year-old boy who used music therapy to persevere through the grief cycle of losing his father. Using musical metaphors from Star Wars helped him confront his avoided grief and experience those feelings together with his family.
MUSICAL PREFERENCES AND APPROACH TO MUSIC: AUTISTIC PEOPLE VS. NON-AUTISTIC PEOPLE
There are plenty of studies that show autistic people are not so different from neurotypical individuals, when it comes to musical enjoyment. For non-autistic adults, one of the primary functions of music in their daily life is to change or enlighten their mood, which, as explored above, also holds true for autistic people. Furthermore, studies show autistic people have unimpaired emotional responsivity to music and can recognize emotional aspects (and categories) of it just as well as neurotypical people, though even some high-functioning adults might display difficulty verbalizing those responses. For adults with autism, their descriptions of musical experiences often reflect a greater reliance on internally focused (arousal) states rather than externally focused emotive language (mood). It is worth mentioning that music can also evolve into a special interest, where an individual develops deep connections to specific songs, bands or genres, sharing them as a primary way to bond with people. Hyperfixations are a ubiquitous topic of discourse for autistic people for a reason. However, it is exactly the social use of music, where autistic and non-autistic people might differ. A 2013 study implicates that autistic adolescents use music less frequently for social interactions or to bond with peers than typical adolescents.
As far as preferences go, music is subjective, meaning it is futile to categorize neurotypical and neurodivergent tastes in music. The few studies that dove into musical preferences and musical enjoyment concur that both groups show varied individual tastes in music. On the other hand, there are some studies suggesting low-functioning autists prefer pleasant, consonant music to dissonant music. Many studies have found a significantly higher amount of autistic people prefer classical music, in comparison to their neurotypical peers, sparking concern for bias. In some cases, the affinity for classical music developed during childhood, but there is an alternate possibility: The same 2013 study referenced two main purposes of music in adolescent lives, one being satisfaction of emotional needs and the other the portrayal of an image to the outside world. As autistic people are generally less inclined to adapt and appeal to a particular peer image, it is possible they are less prone to peer pressure against listening to classical music or against admitting listening to it.
PERSONAL IMPLEMENTATIONS AND THOUGHTS
As I finished gathering research material on this, I realized that I had already been subconsciously using a wide range of “therapeutic elements” implemented through music. I most commonly resort to matching the music with the current emotional state to improve the mood, using music to help relate to others and express feelings more effectively, developing deeper connections to specific songs or bands and sharing them as a primary way of social inclusion and bonding, etc. I love music more than fellow people, so expressing emotions through it comes very natural to me, whether it’s remembering the loss of loved ones (relationships, too) or cherishing happy memories. In addition, music helps me reduce stress and anxiety through appropriate song choices and calm environments (when taking a break from working during an all-night study/work session, I lie in bed with shut eyes and listen to the same 10 minute song). I also use relaxing classical/ambient/folk music to put myself into a working mood.
It seems that music in my life plays more of a catalyst role, since it helps me exile depressive thoughts and emotions through crying to songs I know will put me in such a mood. I find it easier to sustain a happy mood than reverting from a bad mood to a lighter mood. By itself, though, music will rarely help me improve a horrible mood (e.g. being overwhelmed or furious), such burden falls on friends and family. It is still achievable, however, just not if all other coping mechanisms fail. It is also impossible for music to do its magic, when I am in a noisy, uncontrollable environment or if - at worst - I’m surrounded by people I cannot function around. Still, I cannot imagine a life without music and its indelible role in it increases the more I expand my musical horizons. Find joy in music!
- Philip
Sources in order of appearance (for those who want to deep-dive):
1) Bruscia, Kenneth: Defining Music Therapy (3rd Edition). Barcelona Publishers 2014.
2) M. Geretsegger, C. Elefant, K. A. Mössler, C. Gold: Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2014, 2014(6).
3) M. Geretsegger, L. Fusar-Poli, C. Elefant, K. A. Mössler, G. Vitale, C. Gold: Music therapy for autistic people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2022, 5(5).
4) Heiderscheit, A. Madson: Use of the Iso Principle as a Central Method in Mood Management: A Music Psychotherapy Clinical Case Study. Music Therapy Perspectives 2015,33(1), 45–52.
5) Lipsky, Deborah: How People With Autism Grieve, and How to Help: An Insider Handbook. Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2013.
6) Rayburn, Allison: A phenomenological inquiry into systemic music therapy to accompany the grief journey of a boy with high functioning autism. Hayes School of Music 2013.
7) Bhatara, E.-M. Quintin, E. Fombonne, D. J. Levitin: Early Sensitivity to Sound and Musical Preferences and Enjoyment in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain2013, 23(2), 100–108.
