Autism

Biography

Biography: Bilgehan EREN

Abstract

Reading facial expressions is one of the nonverbal communication skills, and considered essential for the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in terms of performing effective communication and social interaction with the others. The literature indicates that music therapy interventions can be used for teaching skills to this population, so it can also be used for teaching facial expression reading skill. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of music therapy interventions on teaching facial expression of sadness to a child with ASD. The study was conducted with a 5 year-old boy with diagnosis of ASD attending a Special Education and Rehabilitation Center in Turkey. Just after baseline data collection, one-to-one music therapy interventions were carried out twice a week for 2 months. Interventions focusing sadness consisted of activities such as singing, movement and dance, musical story, musical painting, musical drawing. Descriptive analysis was used for all videotaped sessions. The data of reliability among observers and of application were collected and analysed as well. The child with ASD participated in interventions eagerly and attentively. After 12 intervention sessions he showed success in recognition sadness in between of other facial expression cards. Generalization of the gained skill in the study environment was verified nevertheless there has been no chance to observe the skill in the real-life conditions. Permanence was kept after interventions were completed. These results suggested that the use music therapy interventions can be considered an acceptable treatment option for teaching the facial expressions to this population.