The effect of musical training on the experience of mainstream education for children with high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Conditons: A multi-persp

This interdisciplinary thesis will explore the ways musical training, and regular performing in amateur musical performance ensembles affects the experience of mainstream education for children with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and other high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs). It will explore this through multiple perspectives, including those of the children themselves, their parents and teachers, and young adults with ASCs. This will be a longitudinal study. The over-arching aim of this thesis is to explore the impact and perceived benefits of musical training and regular ensemble performance on the experience of mainstream education for children with high-functioning ASCs. Autistic Spectrum is an umbrella term for a range of pervasive developmental conditions affecting social development and communication skills and causing sensory hypersensitivity and repetitive, obsessive behaviours (Barnhill, 2001; Firth, 2008; Hourigan & Hourigan, 2009; Jones, 2002). These conditions include Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger's Syndrome (AS), Autism and Childhood Disintergrative Disorder (Baron-Cohen et. al., 2009; Hourigan & Hourigan, 2009). The label 'high-functioning ASC' refers to AS, PDD-NOS and high-functioning Autism (Hourigan & Hourigan, 2009). Children with high-functioning ASCs often have average or above-average intellegence (Barnhill, 2001; Baron-Cohen et. al., 2009; Lock & Bullard, 2004), yet struggle to succeed in mainstream education and occasionally require educating in a Special Education institution (Barnhill, 2001; Lock & Bullard, 2004). For a child with a high-functioning ASC, the mainstream school environment presents many challenges, with social and communication difficulties being most prominent (Barnhill, 2001; Baron-Cohen et. al., 2009; Firth, 2008). The current literature includes studies exploring a variety of aspects of the relationship between music and ASCs. These include investigations into how adults with ASCs experience music (Allen, Hill & Heaton, 2009), pitch processing in individuals with ASCs (Bonnel et.al, 2003; Heaton, 2003), and their emotional responses to music (Kim, Wigram & Gold, 2009). There have also been many studies investigating the use of music as an intervention for individuals with ASCs with varying results. These include explorations of interventions used in music therapy (Geretsegger, Elefant & Mössler, 2014; Reschke-Hernández, 2011; Simpson & Keen, 2011) and those employed in educational settings (Bronwell, 2002; Warwick, 1995). Publications also exist which aim to advise music educators on best practice when teaching children with ASCs (Darrow & Armstrong, 1999; Hourigan & Hourigan, 2009). Despite such a varied literature, there is very little research into the effects of musical training, as opposed to the more invasive musical intervention, on the experience of education for children with ASCs. To my knowledge, there has been no previous research into how regular amateur musical performance may affect the experience of mainstream education for children with ASCs, nor has there been many studies which include the perspectives of the children themselves. My interest in conducting this research stems from my own experience of mainstream education as a musician with AS. My diagnosis of AS and extensive experience of ensemble performance will allow me to bring a unique perspective to this research project. However, I understand the need to take this into account and consider reflexibity carefully, particularly the ways in which it may influence interpretation of the data collected. Being a researcher with AS, I am well placed to bring a new perspective to the field of Music and Disability Studies, a field dominated by non-disabled researchers. The main research question to be addressed in this thesis is: "In what ways does musical training influence the experience of mainstream education for children with high-functioning ASCs?"