Influence of Individual Differences and Developmental Trajectories of Children with Autism on the Outcomes of Music and Movement Intervention

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders that lead to individuals’ deficiencies in social interaction, social communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Individuals with ASD may experience different levels of symptoms, severity, and comorbidity, depending on their individual differences, developmental trajectories, and other biological conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of individual differences and developmental trajectories on the effectiveness of music and movement intervention in improving the sensorimotor and socio-emotional development of children with ASD. A multiple case study research method was applied to collect qualitative data throughout the six-week study using semi-structured interviews with parents, interventionist’s lesson plans and personal journals, observation notes, and video recordings. The four participants who had a different range of autistic symptoms and severity were chosen through purposive sampling to examine how their individual differences affected their responses to the music and movement intervention. The findings indicated that the music and movement intervention outcomes on each participant’s sensorimotor and socio-emotional development depended significantly on their individual differences in responding to the treatment effects. Consequently, researchers who plan for their early intervention treatment programme for children with autism should consider the children’s individual differences to adjust and refine their treatment plans to suit the children’s developmental needs.