THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC THERAPY ON COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

PURPOSE. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to identify the effects of music therapy on communication skills in children with autism. METHOD. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines was performed. It consisted of a comprehensive search of relevant articles in English and Spanish published between 2005 and 2015 in the following online databases:Med line, BVS, Web of Science and Scopus. RESULTS. A total of 14 articles that met the inclusion criteria and obtained a positive assessment in the evaluation of methodological quality were included in the review. Almost all the research supports music therapy as an intervention that facilitates and improves communication skills in children with autism. CONCLUSIONS. Music therapy is an intervention that can help to improve the communication skills of children with autism; however, new procedures must be developed to evaluate patients for a longer period to strengthen the evidence.