Negotiating Control and Facilitating Empowerment: Individual Music Therapy with Two Children with Autism.

Susannah Bailey, 2002

Abstract

This dissertation illustrates the author's approach to individual music therapy with children with autism. It is an approach which considers, in particular, the impact which autism can have on an individual, in terms of autonomy and a sense of self. The way in which the condition of autism presents these difficulties is explored, in order to put the approach and the case material into context.

It focuses on the themes of control and empowerment in the therapy process and examines this process with two contrasting case studies. The author considered the clinical goals of the clients who are the subjects of these case studies in term of a difficulty with the issue of control.

The first case study illustrates the process of helping a child to become less rigid in behaviours which seem to indicate a dependency on being in control and an inability to compromise. This can be seen in terms of his sense of self not being strong enough to take on board the existence of another person and their separate identity. The case study shows how, through the medium of music, he began to accept the therapist as separate. Arguably, it is through a greater sense of security in himself that he was able to so this.

The second illustrates the way in which another child became empowered to have an impact on the therapist and receive musical feedback for this. This process began with the therapist responding to behaviours which were initially without communicative intent, but which grew into communicative and more autonomous behaviour.

The work demonstrates that contrasting presenting symptoms and consequent modifications in music therapy techniques needed to be considered in the therapy process. However, the process for both clients is, in essence, and in terms of ultimate goals, the same: Facilitating the development of a sense of self.

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