Faculty Scholarship
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2022
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, music therapists transitioned services from in-person to telehealth due to health and safety concerns. Though online delivery of music therapy services for autistic individuals occurred prior to 2020, the number of North American music therapists using telehealth with autistic clients rose substantially during the pandemic. The current paper’s objective was to delineate music therapists’ perceptions regarding factors that helped or hindered autistic persons’ engagement in online music therapy sessions. One-hundred ninety-two participants completed the survey. Qualitative content analysis of an open-ended question identified seven overarching themes regarding benefits and challenges of telehealth music therapy for autistic clients. Findings were used to create a screening tool to help music therapists evaluate autistic persons’ suitability for telehealth and meet the needs of those who can benefit from telehealth music therapy.
Recommended Citation
Richard Williams, Nicole M., "Novel screening tool and considerations for music therapists serving autistic individuals via telehealth: Qualitative results from a survey of clinicians’ experiences" (2022). Faculty Scholarship. 5.
https://repository.belmont.edu/musicfaculty/5
