Date of Award
Spring 5-16-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies
Major
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Leticia Prieto-Alvarez
Abstract
Abstract
Music therapy is commonly used to address the social challenges of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as it is widely believed to be helpful. Just as the cause and ontology of ASD are not well understood, the mechanisms underlying its social benefits remain unclear. Developmental Music Therapy theorizes that developing sociability is a matter of expanding consciousness. In this literature review, I examined the plausibility that music therapy uses synchrony (individuals’ behavioral, neural, and/or physiological systems acting together in time) as a pathway that enhances the sociability of autistic people. The literature indicated that a wide variety of music therapy interventions are associated with positive social outcomes. I then examined the research regarding music perception and processing of those with ASD, the relationship between music and synchrony, the relative levels of synchrony in autistic individuals relative to allistic individuals, the feasibility of synchrony remediation, and the outcomes of music therapy interventions that did and did not increase synchrony in autistic individuals. I found that synchrony was in fact a plausible pathway by which music therapy increases the social capabilities of individuals diagnosed with ASD. Further research into synchrony is warranted as to inform the development of future music therapy interventions for autistic individuals.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Scolnick, Jason, "All Together Now! Synchrony as a Pathway for Music Therapy to Improve the Social Strengths of Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review" (2026). Expressive Therapies Theses. 96.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_therapies_theses/96
