Developing an Interactive Music-Based Social Intervention to Enhance Social Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this model-development article is to present the Interactive Music-Based Social Intervention (IMSI), a structured educational intervention designed to enhance social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although music-based interventions have been used with autistic children for decades, many school-based applications remain insufficiently specified, weakly connected to measurable social outcomes, and difficult to replicate across educational settings. IMSI was developed by integrating developmental theory, evidence-based autism intervention principles, music education, and intervention-reporting standards. The model organizes four music education activities: call and response singing, structured musical games, interactive instrument play, and music-and-movement activities into a 12-week sequence targeting joint attention, social responsiveness, turn-taking, cooperation, initiation, and emotional expression. Each session follows a six-step routine, and includes flexible prompting, individualized adaptation, and fidelity monitoring. The article describes the theoretical rationale, model structure, intervention components, implementation procedures, and implications for special education practice in Vietnam and comparable contexts.