Autism and music therapy. Intersubjective approach and music therapy assessment

Abstract

Autism is a pathology in which the communicative and relational deficit is quite clear. After giving an up-to-date general view to the nosographic aspects and to the interpretative models of the Autistic Disorder, the authors focus on an improvisational music therapy approach in an intersubjective theoretical perspective. Coherently, with the theoretical frame and the clinical evidence, important process indicators were extrapolated into the analysed session. By using an appropriate coding scheme made to evaluate the music therapeutic process, the authors present an example analysis about the coding of some music therapy's sessions of a clinical case of infantile autism. Such analysis highlighted the occurred changes within the sessions and it can be considered a useful tool for a longitudinal evaluation of the music therapeutic treatments.