Parents can do it, too: Developing a model to coach parents in the use of music interventions for children with ASD (systematic review, conceptual framework and limited-efficacy study)

Abstract

Early intervention has been considered best practice for children at risk or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders for at least a decade. However, professional services can be limited due to availability or cost constraints. Parent-mediated interventions, where parents are trained in effective strategies to support their child’s development, have been investigated as a viable alternative. In music therapy, such services are scarce. The present work attempted to develop a model for parent coaching of music interventions anchored in the Parent-Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM, Rogers et al., 2012). Three independent, yet connected, studies were undertaken: a systematic review of parent-mediated music interventions, development of a conceptual framework of parent coaching of such interventions, and a limited-efficacy study with an alternating treatment design. Results showed that parent education in music therapy is an emerging research interest, particularly in the last five years (2012-2017). An extensive narrative review of the literature in music, autism, and parent-mediated interventions showed that music could enhance the relationship-based treatment model by supporting the psychophysiological synchronicity of parent and children. Finally, a single-case study showed that parents can indeed learn the strategies and achieve initial fidelity, and that music might enhance the child’s communicative responses, compared to the original P-ESDM. Future research should study different approaches to music training that complement the P-ESDM coaching, as well as other feasibility measures.