Music as a Language

Assessing the Extent to Which Active Music Therapy Promotes Socialization Development for Children Under 12 with Down Syndrome

Abstract

The number of children in western countries diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS), a disease caused by chromosomal abnormalities, is still increasing. The resulting delayed cognitive development also leads to deficits in social functioning in children under 12. Active music therapy (MT), as a natural intervention to achieve therapeutic functions through improvisation, performance, and singing, has been proven to promote the socialization development of children with DS. To get a better idea of the extent of the promotion and exactly what aspects it has improved, I conducted literature reviews and interviews with a music therapist. The results suggest that active MT can stimulate the socialization development of children under 12 with DS in three aspects: language skills, social-emotional development, and prosocial behavior. Although the improvement effect of active MT is better than that of passive MT, it requires the client to have a basis of music theory, that is, it requires higher requirements on the client, so the treatment method should be selected according to the severity of the client's DS or a combination of the two. Hence, future research could be aimed at finding the simplest interventions with sufficient client engagement and verifying the continuation of the effect of active MT.