Music Therapy for Children with Autism and Their Mothers' Wellbeing: A Case Study from Clinical Practice

DOI

10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Music therapy, autism, children, mother, wellbeing

Abstract

Raising children with autism is a challenging journey.Parents are faced with financial burden, emotional and psychological stress. Moreover, the difficulty in communicating verbally affects the dynamic within the family. A study by Hastings et al. (2005) shows that mothers, compared to fathers, are more affected by their autistic child's behaviour problems. In Asia especially, where mother is expected to be the main caregiver who fulfils psychological and emotional needs, and provides security and affection for their children, this situation often leads to a heightened stress. In addition, social pressure and lack of external support may leave mothers feeling isolated. A case study drawn from my clinical practice will narrate how mothers of children diagnosed with autism grow confidence and gain hope when they witness positive interaction between music therapist and their children. Meeting the clients' mothers after the session is a way for them to learn about autism and their child's conditions. In addition to the evident progress shown by their children, the way mothers view their children's potential affects their relationships with their children, which is key to their child's development. The post-session discussion also allows mothers to express their feelings verbally, which is unlikely to happen in other settings. Finally, the musical process in the therapy viewed by mothers will benefit them not only on surface, but also deeper level, which is potentially advantageous for her wellbeing.

Copyright

© 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Monica Subiantoro
PY  - 2019/03
DA  - 2019/03
TI  - Music Therapy for Children with Autism and Their Mothers' Wellbeing: A Case Study from Clinical Practice
BT  - Proceedings of the 4th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2018)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 89
EP  - 91
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22
DO  - 10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22
ID  - Subiantoro2019/03
ER  -