EFFECTS OF MUSIC THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by
neurodevelopmental alterations Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by
neurodevelopmental changes that can affect different areas of a child's life,
particularly communication, social interaction, and cognitive and emotional aspects.
Given the diversity of the disorder's manifestations and the need for interventions that
consider each individual's particularities, music therapy presents itself as a possible
complementary intervention in the therapeutic process of children with ASD. This
study aimed to analyze the benefits of music therapy in the treatment of children with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is an integrative literature review. The search was
conducted in the SciELO, BVS (Virtual Health Library), and CAPES Periodicals
databases, considering publications from [insert period, e.g., 2015 to 2024]. The
following descriptors were used: "Music Therapy" AND "Autism" AND "Child,"
combined using Boolean operators. A total of 160 articles were found, of which, after
applying the inclusion criteria (original studies, available in full text, in Portuguese
and/or English, focusing on children with ASD) and exclusion criteria (duplicate
articles, theoretical reviews without empirical data, publications outside the defined
time period), 4 articles remained eligible for final analysis. The literature analysis showed that music therapy can foster important aspects of child development, with
notable contributions related to communication, social interaction, expression, and the
overall development of children with ASD. Despite the favorable findings regarding
the practice of music therapy, gaps were also identified during the research, mainly
related to the scarcity of studies on the topic. The findings of this review, although
based on a limited number of studies, indicate favorable evidence regarding the
contribution of music therapy to central aspects of child development in children with
ASD — particularly communication, social interaction, and expression. The scarcity
of scientific production on the topic, however, reinforces the need for further research
to deepen and consolidate this evidence, in order to strengthen music therapy as a
complementary practice in the care of this population.