Using music to assist language learning in autistic children with minimal verbal language: the MAP feasibility RCT trial

Williams, T. I., Loucas, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8130-6690, Sin, J., Jeremic, M., Meyer, S., Boseley, S., Fincham-Majumdar, S., Aslett, G., Renshaw, R. and Liu, F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7776-0222 (2024) Using music to assist language learning in autistic children with minimal verbal language: the MAP feasibility RCT trial. Autism. ISSN 1362-3613 doi: 10.1177/13623613241233804

Abstract/Summary

Music has been shown to improve social interaction and attention to verbal stimuli in autism. We report a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an online intervention using music-assisted programmes (MAP), compared with best practice treatment (SCIP-I: Social Communication Intervention for Pre-schoolers - Intensive) for language learning in preschool autistic children with minimal verbal language. Minimisation randomisation ensured comparability of groups before intervention. 91 people expressed interest in taking part; 27 met eligibility criteria and were randomised to receive either MAP or SCIP-I. Children and their parent received two 45-min sessions weekly, over 18 weeks, coached online by a speech and language therapist. A smartphone app was developed to support home-based practice between sessions. Over the study period, 20% of participants completed the intervention and assessments of outcome measures. At three months post-intervention follow-up, social responsiveness, understanding of words and phrases and number of words spoken, and parent-child interaction improved more in the MAP than the SCIP-I group. The results demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting this population into a RCT and the MAP had high perceived acceptability highlighted by parent interviews. A full clinical trial to establish MAP’s effectiveness in improving early vocabulary learning in autistic children is warranted.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/114893
Identification Number/DOI	10.1177/13623613241233804
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary centres and themes > ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) Research Network Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Development Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Clinical Language Sciences Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Language and Cognition
Publisher	Sage
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