INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
The Benefits of Music?
At Miami School of the Arts, our methods have been used successfully with individuals with Autism (ASD), Down’s syndrome, and individuals with mental and physical challenges. The benefits of music learning are well documented.
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Music supports a link between musical processing strengths and the use of music as a therapeutic intervention.
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Singing can be an in-road to promote early speech by helping children access new neurological pathways to compensate for communication deficits.
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Music is at its core a structured way to present information. Melodic and rhythmic patterns give students with autism and other disabilities a way to organize auditory information and help memorize scripts, task sequences, and academic facts.
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Music can help individuals make social and family connections through a mutual shared interest.
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Music is a creative medium that can offer a motivating and safe way to explore more flexibility and spontaneity.
Music Research Findings
Music therapy research findings demonstrate that individuals with autism may show equal or superior abilities in pitch processing, labeling of emotions in music, and musical preference when compared to typically developing peers. The most compelling evidence supporting the clinical benefits of music therapy lies in the areas of social-emotional responsiveness and communication, including increased compliance, reduced anxiety, increased speech output, decreased vocal stereotypy, receptive labeling, and increased interaction with peers. Preliminary findings also support the potential for music to assist in the learning of daily routines.