Developmental Speech-Language Training Through Music for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders ─ Theory and Clinical Application

Lim (music therapy, Sam Houston State U.) outlines a music-based approach that music therapists, speech and language pathologists, special education teachers, parents, and other professionals, as well as researchers and academics, can use to improve the speech and language skills of children with autism spectrum disorders. She begins with theories and research on the perception and production of speech and music in children with autism, and their common principles, mechanisms, and basic similarities, then discusses the clinical implications of her approach (developmental speech-language training through music (DSLM)) and its treatment protocols; specific interventions for verbal production, vocabulary, listening, receptive language, social interaction, and other areas; and applications to applied behavior analysis verbal behavior approaches. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dr. Hayoung Lim is Assistant Professor of Music Therapy and Director of Graduate Studies in Music Therapy at Sam Houston State University, Texas. She has a PhD in music education with an emphasis on music therapy, from the University of Miami, Florida. She has worked as a music therapist in a number of hospitals, schools and organizations with a diverse range of clients including individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disorders, medical problems, neurologic impairments and dementia. Her research focuses on the effect of music on children with ASD and the effect of musical experiences on cognition, speech and language, and physical rehabilitation. She is also a concert cellist and lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and son.