Music Therapy and Early Start Denver Model to Teach Social Communication Strategies to Parents of Preschoolers with ASD: A Feasibility Study

Parents of young children diagnosed with or at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder face extended waiting times for treatment and/or intensive treatment schedules that may be prohibitively expensive for the families. Parent coaching and parent-mediated therapy are available alternatives within well-researched relationship-based behavioral models such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), and parent-mediated ESDM (P-ESDM). This project investigated feasibility measures (limited-efficacy, acceptability, and adaptation) of a six-week music therapy program anchored in the P-ESDM to coach parents in behavioral strategies that could enhance their children's social interactions. Three parent-child dyads participated in group sessions. Parents found this modality developmentally, culturally, and age appropriate. They also seemed more comfortable in their parenting skills. Parents considered that their children improved in social skills due to their participation. These preliminary results indicate that parents can learn the principles of the ESDM within a music-based intervention, and that the ESDM and P-ESDM might provide music therapists with a well-researched theoretical framework for their practice.