Music in diagnostics: using musical-interactional settings for diagnosing autism. (1st June 2016) - Bergmann, Thomas
Abstract : Background : Music therapy settings provide many possibilities to observe a broad variety of behaviours associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including sensory impairments and motor issues. The Music-based Scale for Autism Diagnosis (MUSAD) was developed to use the age- and language-independent quality of musical play to assess adults with impaired intellectual abilities and verbal skills in a semi-structured framework. Methods : A brief overview of research addressing music-based assessments of individuals with ASD will be provided. The concept of the MUSAD will be presented. Practical exercises and role-plays will be used to demonstrate the interactional tasks and applied prompts aimed to provoke diagnostic relevant behaviours. Video-based scorings using the MUSAD rating scale will be made to introduce the coding procedure. Results : Workshop participants will get an idea of how to use music-based settings for diagnostic observations and will be sensitized for ASD-symptomatology in this special context. Conclusions : Behavioural observations in structured music interactional settings offer possibilities to collect valuable information for diagnosing ASD. The MUSAD presents an important complement in the diagnostic assessment of individuals with low verbal skills and intellectual impairments.