The effectiveness of music therapy to improve joint attention for children with autism : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: This paper aimed to evaluate the strength of evidence for the effectiveness of music therapy on joint attention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: The study protocol was pre-registered on Open Science Framework. Fourteen electronic databases were searched to identify experimental designs that included children aged 2;0 to 9;0 with Autism Spectrum Disorder or presented with autistic symptoms. Two independent reviewers identified included studies at the full-text level and critically appraised all included studies with the Joanna Briggs Institute (Aromataris & Munn, 2017) or Single Experimental Design Scale (Tate et al., 2008). Results from valid outcome measures were synthesized qualitatively. Meta-analyses were performed on group studies of similar designs. Results: Ten studies were included in the review (four group studies and six single-subject experimental design studies). All studies had methodological flaws that reduced the strength of the evidence. The results indicated that music therapy might have significant effects on the both classes of joint attention, including Initiation of Joint Attention (IJA) and Response of Joint Attention (RJA). Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests that music therapy may have promising effects on joint attention. More high-quality studies with clearly described participants and treatment procedures are needed.