Proceedings of the 4th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2018)

Music Therapy for Children with Autism and Their Mothers' Wellbeing: A Case Study from Clinical Practice

Authors
Monica Subiantoro
Corresponding Author
Monica Subiantoro
Available Online March 2019.
DOI
10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Music therapy, autism, children, mother, wellbeing
Abstract

Raising children with autism is a challenging journey.Parents are faced with financial burden, emotional and psychological stress. Moreover, the difficulty in communicating verbally affects the dynamic within the family. A study by Hastings et al. (2005) shows that mothers, compared to fathers, are more affected by their autistic child's behaviour problems. In Asia especially, where mother is expected to be the main caregiver who fulfils psychological and emotional needs, and provides security and affection for their children, this situation often leads to a heightened stress. In addition, social pressure and lack of external support may leave mothers feeling isolated. A case study drawn from my clinical practice will narrate how mothers of children diagnosed with autism grow confidence and gain hope when they witness positive interaction between music therapist and their children. Meeting the clients' mothers after the session is a way for them to learn about autism and their child's conditions. In addition to the evident progress shown by their children, the way mothers view their children's potential affects their relationships with their children, which is key to their child's development. The post-session discussion also allows mothers to express their feelings verbally, which is unlikely to happen in other settings. Finally, the musical process in the therapy viewed by mothers will benefit them not only on surface, but also deeper level, which is potentially advantageous for her wellbeing.

Copyright
© 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 4th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2018)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
March 2019
ISBN
978-94-6252-688-4
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Monica Subiantoro
PY  - 2019/03
DA  - 2019/03
TI  - Music Therapy for Children with Autism and Their Mothers' Wellbeing: A Case Study from Clinical Practice
BT  - Proceedings of the 4th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2018)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 89
EP  - 91
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22
DO  - 10.2991/acpch-18.2019.22
ID  - Subiantoro2019/03
ER  -