Musical preferences of Indian children with autism spectrum disorder and acceptability of music therapy by their families: An exploratory study

Background: Music therapy has been in use for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since the 1940s. However, there is limited scientific evidence on its use in the Indian context. Aim: The present study aims to explore musical preferences of children with ASD and their caregivers' acceptability of music as a form of intervention. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study of 120 subjects diagnosed with ASD as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 identified by convenience sampling. A semi-structured interview schedule consisting of 25 objective response questions with multiple choices and 11 open-ended questions (pertaining to music and the use of music) was used to explore caregivers'/parents' thoughts and beliefs. The responses to open-ended questions were collected in narrative mode. A descriptive approach of content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data are presented using descriptive statistics. Institutional Ethics Committee's approval was obtained for conducting the study. Results: Most of the children liked (89.2%, n = 107) music and responded (88.3%, n = 106) actively (listen intently/hum or sing or dance along) to music. Most subjects preferred rhythm (65%, n = 78) over melody (15%, n = 18). While 98.3% (n = 118) of the parents were willing to try music therapy for their child, 61% of them (n = 72) asked follow-up questions like - "Is there available data on it?" (n = 12; 10.2%) and "Will it be worth investing our time and efforts on it?" (n = 60; 50.8%). Conclusion: Most of the children including those with auditory sensitivity like music and prefer rhythm over melody. Caregivers possess a positive attitude toward the use of music therapy. However, most of them wish to clarify the scientific basis of the same.