Music as a Means of Addressing the Self-Injurious Behaviour of People with Autism: A Pilot Study on the Views of Music Therapists

Abstract

This article presents a research study, which explores the views of nine music therapists (from Greece and the UK) on the use of music as a therapeutic means of modifying self-injurious behaviour of people with autism. The results show that music, which is based on a musical-therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the person with autism, can reduce the self-injurious behaviour of people with autism. Also, the results suggest that there is no particular musical-therapeutic technique and musical instrument that is more or less effective for the reduction of self-injurious behaviour. These results are discussed comparatively, taking into account the results of other relevant studies and the international bibliography.