How Do Children with Autism Process Music?

Children with autism often have a unique connection to music. While they may face significant challenges in other areas, many show a natural affinity for music, and some even have exceptional musical abilities. Research on autism and music therapy suggests that the brain of a person with autism may process music with increased sensitivity and responsiveness to musical stimuli.

Frontiers in Psychology states that children with autism may have an increased ability to detect patterns and sequences in music, which may explain why so many children on the spectrum respond so positively to it. This ability to recognize patterns may also be a starting point for working on other cognitive and communication skills.

Likewise, research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that when people with autism listen to certain types of music, they exhibit specific brain activity related to emotional functioning. During this activity, their cortical and subcortical brain regions activate, suggesting that music triggers emotional processing. The results of this research highlighted that all children showed greater emotional understanding when learning with a music background, which increased empathy and social awareness.

In addition, biological studies have reported that in the context of autism and music therapy, some hormones, such as oxytocin and neuropeptide, are released by the posterior pituitary gland, which promotes empathy in people with ASD, relieves pain, anxiety, agitation, and depression.