Supporting Parent-Child Interactions: Music Therapy as an Intervention for Promoting Mutually Responsive Orientation

Abstract

Music therapy assisted development of MRO within parent-child dyads by providing opportunities to rehearse adaptive ways of connecting with each other. Results of this study may serve as an archetypal model guiding clinical treatment planning.

Associations between early shared music activities in the home and later child outcomes: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

“…This finding supports those of other, smaller studies that have linked adult-child music activities with improved self-regulation in infancy (Malloch et al, 2012) and early childhood (Pasiali, 2012). Exposure to music training in early childhood has also been linked with improved self-regulatory strategies and performance on executive function tasks (Moreno et al, 2011 andWinsler et al, 2011).…”

“…The findings align with those that document relations between parentchild music therapy and improved social skills in early childhood for specialized populations (Nicholson et al, 2010 andWilliams et al, 2012), and those that link group music-making with improved empathy and prosociality in early (Kirschner & Tomasello, 2010), and middle childhood (Rabinowitch, Cross, & Burnard, 2012). Early parent-child music activities such as singing (including action songs), dancing, and playing instruments might provide an important opportunity for children to practice imitation, shared intentionality, social interaction, cooperation, and mutual responsivity with a trusted caregiver (Pasiali, 2012 andRabinowitch et al, 2012). Practice of these skills is likely to contribute strongly to children's later prosocial orientation.…”

“…Parent-child music therapy efficacy studies indicate that joint active music participation is associated with improved parent-child interactions and enhanced impulse control or self-regulation skills (Pasiali, 2012), and social and communication skills for children (Mackenzie and Hamlett, 2005, Nicholson et al, 2008,Nicholson et al, 2010, Walworth, 2009and Williams et al, 2012. These correlational studies have largely been with small numbers of participants and with specialized populations deemed to require additional parenting and child development support.…”

“…These correlational studies have largely been with small numbers of participants and with specialized populations deemed to require additional parenting and child development support. Nevertheless, the described processes of mutually responsive behavior between parent or adult therapist and child that occurs during musical interactions (Malloch et al, 2012;Pasiali, 2012 andShoemark, 2006), suggest that parent-child music activities in the home might afford developmental benefits for all children.…”

“…Early childhood music and movement interventions have also been particularly effective in improving important domain-general social, behavioral, and motor skills in young children (Lobo andWinsler, 2006 andZachopoulou et al, 2004). Finally, shared home music activities might provide a structure within which parents and children engage in mutually responsive interactions requiring joint attention, active cooperation, turn-taking, and immediate feedback, thus supporting children's self-regulatory and social development ( Pasiali, 2012).…”