Effectiveness of Active Music Therapy on Echolalia and Pitch Frequency in Level-One Autism Spectrum Disorder Children
Keywords:
Active music therapy, Echolalia, Pitch frequency, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Prosody, Acoustic analysis, Rhythmic interventionAbstract
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an active music therapy protocol on reducing echolalia and improving pitch frequency among children with Level-One Autism Spectrum Disorder. This semi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. Twenty-two children aged 4–7 years with Level-One ASD were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either an active music therapy group or a control group. The intervention was delivered across eight weeks using structured rhythmic, vocal, and auditory–motor activities. Echolalia was assessed using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (Echolalia subscale), and pitch-related prosodic features were analyzed using Praat acoustic software. Data were collected across pretest, posttest, and follow-up phases. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc tests. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant time × group interaction for pitch frequency, indicating greater improvement in the active music therapy group compared with controls across posttest and follow-up (p < .05). The intervention group showed a marked increase in pitch frequency from pretest to follow-up, while the control group demonstrated no meaningful change. Echolalia scores exhibited a significant reduction in the experimental group compared with the control group over time (p < .05), confirming the therapeutic effect of rhythmic–vocal engagement. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons further indicated that the most substantial improvements occurred between pretest and follow-up in the therapy group, with effect sizes in the moderate-to-large range. Active music therapy produced significant improvements in prosodic features—particularly pitch frequency—and reductions in echolalia among Level-One ASD children, with gains maintained over time. The findings highlight the value of rhythmic, auditory–motor, and vocal synchronization activities for enhancing speech-related outcomes in this population.
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