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Topic Research Paper

Joshua Watford
Mrs. Crist
English IV
3 March 2016
How does music therapy help autistic people?
Music, this simple thing, just a mixture of melody, rhythm, and a few notes, can impact
people in many ways. Music affects the brain in multiple ways, it activates almost every section,
pulling separate parts of the brain together, acting almost as a key to the locked doors of the
brain. Autism is caused by the combination of genetic factors and environmental factors such as
neurological toxins. Neurological toxins are toxins that inhabit a persons brain, these cause the
brain to shut down and makes it more difficult for the brain to communicate ideas. More than
eighty thousand toxic chemicals have recently been introduced to the environment. 1 in 68
people in the United States will be diagnosed with ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) this year.
ASD makes a person unable to communicate or convey their ideas efficiently, almost as if their
brains are behind locked doors that can easily be opened with the right key. Music is the key that
can unlock the minds of people suffering from ASD.
ASD (autism spectrum disorder) is a disability that can cause major social, behavioral,
and communication changes. Having ASD does not mean that a person is at a disadvantage, in
some cases people with ASD may be considered gifted, everybody solves problems differently.
There is no easy way to diagnose ASD, there is not any kind of biological test, doctors must

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observe the patients actions to diagnose them. Some of the signs of ASD are: having trouble with
changes to a routine, avoiding eye contact, and wanting to be alone (Autism Spectrum
Disorder). Autism comes in many forms and many people look upon it as something bad, when
in reality its just a different way of thinking, not everybodys brains work the same.
Music therapy is very different from regular entertainment music, it is used to calm
people down and for healing. Music therapy can do a great deal during the healing process of a
patient (Pam Mellskog). Music therapists know just how to use music to access certain parts of
the minds of the patients through music. Music therapy helps people who have trouble
communicating through words and other means. This is not an untried practice, it has been
proven to work. Music Therapists must have a bachelors degree or higher, this degree must
come from one of seventy two approved colleges, and they must have twelve hundred hours of
clinical training (American Music Therapy Assn.).
People who have ASD, have trouble expressing themselves through words that is where
music therapy comes into play. Music can access almost every part of the brain. Studies show
that different parts of the brain light up when listening to different genres of music. Studies
from Heriot-Watt University show strong links between personality and music. There are many
examples of music effecting peoples behaviors such as: people who listen to country music are
outgoing and hardworking, people that listen to blues have high self-esteem and are creative, and
people who listen to rap music have high self-esteem and are outgoing (The Surprising
Science). Once music therapists know the specific problem in a patient, they can craft a type of
music to solve that problem or in the case of ASD, access that part of the brain.
There are many positive attributes that come from music therapy, and it can be very
helpful during the healing process of some patients. Music impacts people every day, whether it

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be in the car, in the house, or in a music therapy session. Autism is a serious problem today, and
if people start caring about the environment and eliminating some of the factors contributing to
the rise of autism, autism will start to decline. Music is the key to accessing the locked doors
of the brain of ASD patients, and with that key, almost anything is possible.

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Works Cited
"American Music Therapy Association." What Is Music Therapy. American Music Therapy
Association, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
"Autism Spectrum Disorder." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 09 Dec. 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016
Bateman, Chris. "AutismMitigating a Global Epidemic." South African Medical Journal 103.5
(May 2013). Rpt. in Why Is Autism on the Rise? Ed. Clay Farris Naff. Farmington Hills,
MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Feb.
2016.
Mellskog, Pam. "Music Therapy Is Used in Many Ways to Help Patients Heal." Alternative
Therapies. Ed. Sylvia Engdahl. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Current Controversies.
Rpt. from "The Sounds of Healing." Vibrant Life 25 (Nov.-Dec. 2009): 14-17. Opposing
The Surprising Science Behind What Does To Our Brains. Fast Company. N.p., 06 Dec 2013.
Web. 03 Mar. 2016