Znaczenie technik muzykoterapeutycznych we wsparciu rozwoju dziecka z autyzmem

Abstract

A field of investigation of this doctorial dissertation titled The significance of music-therapy techniques in supporting the development of an child with autism comprises two issues: autism perceived as a type of a disorder that encompasses developmental spheres, such as social, communicative or sensory areas and music therapy as a therapeutic practice which contributes to the development of people with autism in the above-mentioned spheres. Both these areas of interest require more broad and in-depth academic explorations, in both ualitative and quantitative perspectives, yet to meet the requirements of the specificity of the current research, the relation between them was the focus herein. Such approach fills in the research gap in both fields that are the main focus of interest in this dissertation, since so far little attention has been paid to music as a potential therapeutic agent supporting the development of children with autism, especially in Polish studies. The main purpose of the reserach conducted was to determine the influence of music therapy on selected developmental domains – communicative, socio-emotional, cognitive and motor spheres in children with autism. These case studies aimed to verify the effectiveness of these influences and observe changes occurring within each individual case, but not compare the cases. Particular emphasis was placed on the honesty of substantiating the range of influence as well as the significance of music therapy in the overall development of children with developmental disorders, thus confirming that therapy through music is an effective therapeutic tool when working with people with autism. A group of children aged 3 to 11 was the subject of the study. The studies were individualized, and each case was perceived as unique. The main research method was the qualitative case study. It should be emphasized that the individual approach assumed both in the clinical practice and in this study makes it possible to reach an individual comprehensively. Only getting to know an individual in an in-depth and multi-faceted way, having a common field of creative experiences and a long-term observation in specific conditions provide, on the one hand, a proper therapeutic effect and, on the other, the correct assessment of the results of therapy, which can be revealed in a music-therapy process. All the verification tests ended in a quantitative analysis of the results (using the measurements of the functioning of child with autism in a socio-emotional, communicative, cognitive or motor spheres on the basis of an SOZ-D survey questionnaire) and a qualitative analysis (in the scope of the child-therapist relationship with a qualitative description of sessions, both in terms of musical and non-musical aspects). Qualitative techniques used in this study include: a participatory observation (a phenomenological characterization of relationships), an analysis of documents and their contents (questionnaires regarding the general functioning of a child), reports from therapeutic sessions on the basis of video recordings and observation-based research categories that described musical and non-musical behaviours occurring during the sessions in great detail. The results indicate that music therapy and specific music-therapy experiences positively influence the development of children with autism, supporting mostly their socio-emotional and cognitive development.