At 12 months since baseline measures, the small but clinically significant improvement in the intervention group was the same as the improvement in the control group (MD 0.16 ADOS points, 95% CI -0.62 to 0.94). Music therapy did not have a delayed effect at seven months after the intervention period.A change of at least one point would be considered to be meaningful. It slightly reduced from 14.08 to 13.23 in the music group and from 13.49 to 12.58 in the usual care group (mean difference 0.06, 95% confidence interval -0.70 to 0.81). This was according to the 27 point Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) social affect score, where higher numbers indicate worse symptoms. At five months there was no clinically significant improvement in autism symptoms in either group.The researchers collecting and analysing data were unaware of the treatment group, which reduced bias. The study was well conducted with low drop-out. Enhanced standard care comprised usual care in each country combined with three parent counselling sessions. Specialist music therapists used a standardised approach. Half the children receiving music therapy were invited to one session per week, and the other half to three sessions per week. Ten centres participated from nine high-income countries including a UK arm funded by the NIHR.Ĭhildren were randomly allocated to receive one-to-one half-hour improvisational music therapy sessions for five months on top of enhanced standard care or enhanced standard care alone. They had a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder and no serious sensory disabilities. This randomised clinical trial, TIME-A, included 364 children aged four to seven years. This international trial recruited more than twice this number of participants, sufficient to test the effects of music therapy on young children with ASD when added to usual clinical practice. Music therapy aims to improve social and communication skills and is offered on the NHS.Ī 2014 Cochrane review of ten studies (165 participants) suggesting positive effects of music therapy and suggested that larger-scale real-world trials were needed. The estimated UK cost of supporting children combined with loss of parental earnings is more than £3 billion per year.Īlthough there is no cure for ASD, a variety of interventions are used to manage the condition and provide support. ASD can have wide-reaching effects on children and their families. Around one in every 100 people in the UK have an ASD, usually diagnosed around the age of five years. Why was this study needed?Īutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions affecting social interaction, communication and behaviours. Though music itself may be useful for some children with an ASD, this specialist delivered therapy did not show any detectable benefit. The enhanced care was three counselling and support sessions provided to all parents in the study. Usual care comprised a wide range of local services including communication therapies. Centres in nine countries participated, including the UK. Qualified music therapists provided social interactions with the children through music and singing once to three times per week. This result from a large well designed NIHR-funded international trial contrasts with an earlier systematic review of small trials that suggested beneficial effects for this specialised therapy. Clinically meaningful improvements in social and communication skills were not achieved in either group over this time. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and reviewer(s) at the time of publication.Īfter five months, improvised music therapy added to enhanced usual care was no better than enhanced usual care alone for young children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a plain English summary of an original research article.
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