Beyond Broadway: Analysis of Qualitative Characteristics of and Individual Responses to Creatively Able, a Music and Movement Intervention for Children with Autism

Kimberley D. Lakes, Ross Neville, Spyridoula Vazou, Sabrina E. B. Schuck, Katherine Stavropoulos, Kavita Krishnan, Irene Gonzalez, Kayla Guzman, Arya Tavakoulnia, Annamarie Stehli and Andrew Palermo
Additional contact information
Kimberley D. Lakes: Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Ross Neville: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Spyridoula Vazou: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Sabrina E. B. Schuck: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Katherine Stavropoulos: Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Kavita Krishnan: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Irene Gonzalez: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Kayla Guzman: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Arya Tavakoulnia: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Annamarie Stehli: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Andrew Palermo: Clare Trevor School of Arts, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: Movement in response to music represents one of the natural social environments in which physical activity occurs. The study of music and movement, including dance, requires a careful, holistic consideration of many features, which may include music, physical activity, motor learning, social engagement, emotion, and creativity. The overarching goal of this manuscript is to examine qualitative characteristics of and individual responses to a music and movement intervention (Creatively Able) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We provide a description of Creatively Able, illustrating how the program design and physical and social environment were informed by children’s needs and preferences in order to provide an enriched environment in which to promote multiple systems in children with ASD. Using data from two pilot studies with 20 children with ASD, we illustrate how researchers can use observational research methods to measure important aspects of the social environment (e.g., children’s engagement during intervention sessions) as well as engagement of potential underlying behavioral mechanisms (e.g., self-regulation) that might reduce clinical symptoms. We further illustrate how individual responses to intervention (e.g., improvements in behaviors or symptoms) can be studied in physically active interventions. Our pilot study results showed group-level reductions in Stereotyped and Compulsive behaviors of 8% and 4%, respectively; posthoc analysis revealed that there were substantial individual differences in children’s responses to the intervention. This research illustrates robust methods that can be applied to intervention research to improve our understanding of important features of interventions that might help promote development in various domains, including executive functions and self-regulation.

Keywords: autism; ASD; autism spectrum disorder; music; movement; physical activity; intervention; self-regulation; cognition; executive functions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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