The effects of listening to music on developmental support in people with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability: A review of empirical findings

Abstract

Reviews of the relevant literature provide important data for both researchers and practitioners. There is a lack of reviews that address the effects of listening to music in people with autism spectrum disorders and/or intellectual disabilities. The aim of this article is to identify what evidence exists about the relationship between listening to music and aspects of development and quality of life in people with autism spectrum disorders and/or intellectual disabilities. The papers were searched using a unified search of Google Scholar and the Consortium of Libraries of Serbia for Unified Acquisition - KOBSON (Academic Search Complete, Cambridge University Press, EBSCO, Oxford Academic Journals, Sage, ScienceDirect, Wiley). The initial search yielded 37, while the final analysis included 13 papers published from 1993 to 2022. From the analysis of the research results, it appears that listening to music in individuals with autism spectrum disorder reduces the occurrence of self-stimulatory behaviours, influences the relief of sensory overload, and has a stronger effect when the person listens to music of their own choice. Background music improves the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities and people with autism spectrum disorders.