Early childhood music therapy and autism spectrum disorders: Developing potential in young children and their families

Abstract

Kern and Humpal have coedited an excellent resource for music therapy clinicians who provide services for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Petra Kern is a scholar from the University of North Caroline Chapel Hill who has taught at several leading music therapy programs. She is the Past President of the World Federation of Music Therapy and current owner of a music therapy consulting firm and coeditor of imagine. Marcia Humpal is a long time clinician whose work has focused on early intervention, autism spectrum disorders, and inclusive music opportunities. She co-chairs the American Music Therapy Association’s Strategic Priority on Music Therapy and ASD Workgroup and serves on the editorial board for imagine. The book is organized into five sections: Introduction and Research, Assessment and Goals, Treatment Approaches, Collaboration and Consultation, and Selected Resources. Each section includes chapters written by experts in the field and the co-editors. The chapters begin with a quote and picture to prime the reader. The chapters end with a section of learning questions that could be used to promote discussion, reader reflection, or student review of the content. Each chapter also includes a full reference list.