The effect of Kodály-based music experiences on joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorders

Background: Kodály approach is one of widely used methods in music education and music therapy. The method is based on singing activities that could facilitate young children's social development. Thus, the application of Kodály approach may be appropriate to enhance the joint attention behaviors of children with autism. Objective: We examined the joint attention of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) during Kodály-based music experiences. Methods: The A-B-C-B single-case design was employed to investigate the effectiveness of Kodály-based music experiences on joint attention behaviors of three children, ranging from 7.8 to 11.5 years of age, with autism who had manifested joint attention problems. The experimental sessions consisted of baseline condition (A), group intervention (B), and individual invention session (C). The SCERTS assessment process (SAP) was used to measure joint attention behaviors. The findings were presented using visual inspection. Results: During baseline sessions, the three participants rarely engaged in joint attention with others. Their behaviors were stable during the first three sessions, with mean occurrence of 5, 9.3, and 4. In the course of the music intervention, they positively responded to the intervention. The frequencies of their behaviors continuously increased from the first group intervention sessions until the second group intervention sessions. Finally, the second group intervention sessions showed that most of the data points were above the mean of all previous sessions, with mean occurrence of 43.8, 34.1, and 18.8. Conclusion: The Kodály approach was found one of useful methods in music education that can apply to music therapy to enhance joint attention behaviors of the children with autism. The children were able to learn how to engage in a group setting through singing activities, folk music, and solfège learning.