Music and Sound-Based Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

To map the evidence from the relevant studies regarding the use of music and sound-based intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a scoping review study design. Scoping review was conducted according to the inclusion criteria using Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Scopus. The review was accomplished in five steps: 1) identify the inclusion criteria, 2) search for relevant studies, 3) studies selection, 4) data extraction and charting, and 5) data analysis and presentation. Four major themes emerged from 39 studies that matched the inclusion criteria as follows: 1) forms of sound therapy discussing methods of sound therapy and stimulus used, 2) duration of the intervention explain in terms of listening time and total listening sessions, 3) clinical characteristics of the intervention exploring the main interest of sound therapy study in ASD, and 4) evidence for the intervention effectiveness looking into the positive, negative, and mixed findings of previous studies. Each theme was explored to identify the knowledge gaps in sound-intervention therapy. This review demonstrated the need for further studies to address several issues including identifying the effectiveness of sound-therapy intervention for ASD according to the individual sound types, the minimum duration for ASD sound-therapy intervention and more details on the use of technology, and clinical features of the sound-therapy intervention. These elements are important to further demonstrate the effectiveness of sound therapy intervention for ASD children.

Terapias y actividades asistidas con animales para niños con TEA: un estudio de revisión

Este trabajo incluye una revisión de la literatura publicada entre 2010 y 2019 que aborda la efectividad de las Terapias y Actividades Asistidas con Animales como intervención con niños y adolescentes con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ProQuest, ERIC y Google Scholar, empleando los términos [(animal assisted therapy OR animal assisted intervention OR dog-assisted therapy OR equine-assisted therapy OR dolphin-assisted therapy) AND (autism OR ASD)]. Se identificaron 245 estudios, de los cuales se seleccionaron 40 con base en diferentes criterios de inclusión, tales como que las intervenciones descritas tengan un enfoque psicoeducativo y sean evaluadas mediante instrumentos rigurosos. En cada uno de ellos se revisaron las variables analizadas, los instrumentos de evaluación utilizados, las características de cada intervención y los resultados obtenidos. Los resultados sugieren que los animales más utilizados son el caballo y el perro, y que este tipo de intervención tiene efectos positivos para niños con TEA en áreas como la interacción y la comunicación social, el comportamiento y el desarrollo motor, entre otros. Se concluye que es una intervención beneficiosa para niños y adolescentes con autismo, aunque siempre como complemento de otro tipo de tratamientos.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder determined by a complex of factors (genetic and environmental). On a pathophysiological basis hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been suggested as an effective therapeutic method in ASD, and thus many parents/guardians attempt to treat their child with ASD using this method. Therefore, this review aimed to verify the significant therapeutic value of this method for individuals with ASD. The literature review included all articles from the last 5 years (2015-2021) that met the inclusion criteria-both original papers and literature reviews. None of the 10 literature reviews indicated that HBOT was a clearly effective form of therapy in the case of ASD. Two out of four papers presenting the results of the intervention studies also did not recommend the use of this form of therapy in children with ASD. The results of the other two studies were not entirely relevant to the purpose of this review because one study had no control group, while the other study focused solely on auditory processing disorders. A review of the literature on whether HBOT as a therapy significantly affects the symptoms of ASD does not confirm its effectiveness.