Music therapy for autistic children – responding to contemporary understandings with new research approaches

Recognition of neurodiversity as a legitimate model for thinking about human difference signals a shift away from standardising and statistical models to a more expansive appreciation of human difference. New approaches to research using innovative designs are therefore needed to meet the demands of evidence-based practice. The rationale and design of a current music therapy project with autistic children are described, and brief results are illustrated with one case vignette.