Use of Music to Improve Speech Production in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Theoretical Orientation

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review research literature on the perception and production of speech and music in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to explain the common principles and mechanisms of music and speech perception and production in the children. Pattern perception and production are a common phenomenon for speech and music. Children with ASD appear to have an intact ability to perceive and produce speech patterns and demonstrate Gestalt processing in their language acquisition such as echolalia. They also have intact auditory areas and functions to process various patterns in musical sounds. Collectively, children with ASD follow the same principles of Gestalt pattern perceptual organization for music and speech. The capacity of musical pattern perception and production might influence the speech production by activating the common mechanisms involved in both music and speech. Children with ASD might perceive important linguistic information embedded in the music stimuli and produce them as functional speech. This review provides a theoretical implication for the use of music as an effective way to enhance speech production in children with ASD.