Role of orff music therapy in improving auditory processing skills in children with intellectual disability.

Abstract

Orff Music Therapy improves auditory processing, language, and cognitive functions in children who have Intellectual Disability (ID). In literature, there are no studies from the auditory processing skills reviewing perspective. The current study examined the role of Orff Music Therapy in terms of auditory processing skills of children who have ID. Twenty-nine children who have ID were subjected in a 6-week Orff Music Therapy program. The mean musical assessment scores improved after Orff Music Therapy. The total Listening Inventory (TLI) scores before Orff Music Therapy were considered to be risky above the cut-off level for children who have ID. The criterion cutoff scores show if the child's behaviors may indicate a disorder or dysfunction. The TLI scores were reduced after Orff Music Therapy, which means there was an improvement in auditory processing skills. Auditory processing skills are essential for children who have ID. If a child who has ID has been identified as having auditory processing disorder (APD), there is a need for a proven therapeutic approach, like Orff Music Therapy. It has been considered that ID and APD can be linked in the same category of neurodevelopmental disorders.