Abstract
Current research investigating the functions of music in everyday life has identified cognitive, emotional, and social functions of music. However, previous research focuses almost exclusively on neurotypical people and rarely considers the musical experiences of autistic people. In addition, there is limited research which focuses explicitly on the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum. Current research exploring the functions of music may therefore not accurately represent the experiences of the autistic community. This article aims to explore the function of music in the lives of young people on the autism spectrum through a series of interviews. Eleven young people on the autism spectrum age 12 to 25 ( M = 19.4) were interviewed about the function of music in their lives. An adaptive interview technique, utilizing multiple methods of communication, was employed to account for the participants’ broad communicative and personal needs. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four key functions of music in the participants’ lives: Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Identity. Collectively, these results provide a unique insight into the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum.
Highlights
Current research investigating the functions of music in everyday life has identified cognitive, emotional, and social functions of music
Previous research suggests that young people on the autism spectrum may find it difficult to participate in interviews which rely on verbal communication (Preece & Jordan, 2010) and/or that include open-ended questions (Preece, 2002)
This study provides a rare first-person account of the subjective musical experiences of autistic people
Summary
A total of 11 participants volunteered to take part in this study (9 male, 2 female). Participants were considered to be the experts in relation to autism and it was deemed important to involve them in the process of designing the interviews This was achieved through completion of a questionnaire, which was distributed via email to participants who had returned a signed consent form. Previous research suggests that young people on the autism spectrum may find it difficult to participate in interviews which rely on verbal communication (Preece & Jordan, 2010) and/or that include open-ended questions (Preece, 2002). With this in mind, the researcher used unambiguous language which was appropriate for the participants’ ages and communicative preferences. Primary methods of music engagement (Music-Making: MM, Music Listening: ML, Music Training: MT, Music and Multimedia: MAM)
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