The Effectiveness of Combined Music Therapy and Physical Activity on Motor Coordination in Children With Autism

Objectives: Motor skills play an important role in language, play, academic and adaptive behaviors of individuals. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of music therapy along with play therapy in rising motor coordination of children with autism. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design, Autism Evaluation Scale and Motor Development Scale were administered to 30 randomly selected male students with autism spectrum disorder aged between 6 and 11 years before and after the intervention. The experimental group attended 15 sessions (each lasted 60 minutes), twice a week and were trained by music therapy along with play therapy program. However, the control group did not receive such programs. One-way analysis of covariance was used for analyzing the data. Results: There was a significant difference (P<0.001) between the experimental and control groups after applying music therapy along with play therapy. Discussion: Considering the problems with autism in motor coordination, applying music therapy along with play therapy is necessary for rehabilitating these children. Implications of these results are useful for planning intervention strategies to decrease motor problems in this population.