Parents, Peers, and Musical Play: Integrated Parent-Child Music Class Program Supports Community Participation and Well-Being for Families of Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Miriam D Lense,Adam Summers,Christina Liu,Nia Goodman,Sara Beck,Nicole Diaz,Megan Lynch,Marisa H Fisher,Rita Pfeiffer

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.555717

Abstract

Opportunities for meaningful community participation may influence the development and well-being of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families as well as impact how community members perceive and understand ASD. In the current study, we aimed to understand how a parent-child integrated music class program could be used to promote community participation and family well-being. Caregivers of preschoolers (2–5 years of age) with ASD and those of peer children with typical development (TD) were interviewed about their participation in a parent-child integrated music class program. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed that all caregivers viewed program participation as positive. Caregivers emphasized increasing connections within families, such as through strengthening parent-child bonds, as well as connections across families, including increased understanding of ASD and sensitivity to the experience of parenting. Many caregivers perceived the class as supporting their parenting and impacting their children’s behavior in meaningful ways. Interview themes were supported by measures of caregiver and child program receipt, including questionnaires about family music engagement throughout their time in the class program and behavioral coding of children’s engagement during music classes. Findings suggest that integrated community experiences such as parent-child music classes may impact whole family well-being, highlighting the value of integrated community participation experiences at the level of the family system. Parent-child music classes may provide a productive and accessible context for supporting integrated community experiences.

Highlights

Community participation, or the involvement of individuals in societal activities (WHO, 2011), results from an interaction of both personal and environmental factors that support or hinder a person’s inclusion and integration in activities
We examined family experiences of participation in Serenade, a 10-week integrated parent-child music class program that is designed to promote social engagement and positive behavior in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through the use of parent training and peer integration in a musical play context
These themes included (1) positive experiences and community participation, (2) awareness and empathy, (3) family connections, (4) parenting skills, and (5) children’s behavior. These findings from families of children with and without ASD suggest that integrated parent-child music classes may be a viable forum for increasing community participation and well-being of families of children with ASD, and that the integrated context may benefit both families of children with ASD and families of children with typical development (TD)

Summary

Introduction

The involvement of individuals in societal activities (WHO, 2011), results from an interaction of both personal and environmental factors that support or hinder a person’s inclusion and integration in activities. Despite reports that parents of preschoolers with and without ASD are likely and willing to take their child to various community activities, such activities were perceived as more difficult for the parents of children with ASD and they experienced fewer positive and more negative emotions during these community activities (Lam et al, 2010). This was the case for recreational activities (Lam et al, 2010)

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Conclusion