Kean Research Finds Value in Therapeutic Drumming for Children with Autism

A therapeutic drumming program has shown promise in helping children with autism improve their social and behavioral skills, according to a recent study conducted by Kean University faculty in collaboration with researchers from other institutions. 

Children who participated in the program demonstrated enhanced eye contact, improved ability to follow directions and increased comfort in group settings.  

The pilot program was evaluated in a feasibility study published earlier this year in Occupational Therapy in Health Care, which found the intervention to be effective, enjoyable and easy to replicate.  

“Professionals and parents may think they need special training to lead music interventions, but our program is simple,” said Zahava L. Friedman, Ph.D., the study’s second author, who is an occupational therapist and assistant professor at Kean University’s College of Health Professions and Human Services (CHPHS). “All you need is anything that makes noise, from paper plates to margarine containers, so the intervention is not only available, but can be free.” 

Claire Mulry, acting dean of Kean’s CHPHS, said the study introduces an approach that can complement existing methods used by occupational therapists. 

“Children enrolled in this multisensory therapeutic drumming program learned to coordinate their hand movements better and respond to requests,” Mulry said. “These skills can make a real difference at home in many ways, including enabling children to participate in social interactions and  tasks, which can be life-changing for families.” 

Friedman, who previously worked as an occupational therapist (OT) in public schools, was inspired to explore music-based interventions by Jorge Ochoa, an OT and the founder of Tambo Rhythms, based out of San Antonio, Texas. Ochoa, known for using drumming with children who have Down syndrome, joined the research team as a co-author. 

The intervention involved 10 children ages 2 to 6 who participated in weekly 30-minute drumming sessions over six weeks at a community clinic for autistic individuals. Instruments included maracas, tambourines and djembe drums. 

“Our goal was to bring about a creative intervention that aligned with neurodiversity-affirming practices, which suggest that children with autism don't have a deficit, but rather unique strengths and differences that we can help them develop to promote their independence,” Friedman said. “We don’t look at what they can't do, but what they might enjoy that could enhance their participation in daily activities.” 

Friedman and first author Dina Prisco, assistant chair of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s doctoral OT program, reviewed videos of the sessions and noted statistically significant improvements in all participation measures on the validated Social and Personal Relationship Scale questionnaire. 

“Children were able to respond to the facilitator,” Friedman said. “They looked at each other and were able to hand a drum to another child.” 

Beyond the sessions, clinic staff observed that the children were more cooperative in group settings and better able to follow directions than they had been before the study. The authors also described “marked and steady increases in confidence, joy and engagement by all participants and staff throughout the sessions.” 

Rounding out the research team were Patricia Higgins, who at the time served as managing director of Kean’s Department of OT; Danielle Centi, then doctoral capstone manager at Kean; therapeutic drumming facilitator Talia Nuesi; OT Carmen Guarino; and OT Barbara Cheuvront. 

Looking ahead, Friedman hopes to continue exploring therapeutic drumming for children with autism, potentially by introducing the activity into her grant-funded Raising Families project. That project offers group therapy to children and their caregivers but has not previously included drumming.