Fixing the Mirrors: A Feasibility Study of the Effects of Dance Movement Therapy on Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autor/inn/en	Koch, Sabine C.; Mehl, Laura; Sobanski, Esther; Sieber, Maik; Fuchs, Thomas
Titel	Fixing the Mirrors: A Feasibility Study of the Effects of Dance Movement Therapy on Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Quelle	In: Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 19 (2015) 3, S.338-350 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1362-3613
DOI	10.1177/1362361314522353
Schlagwörter	Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Movement Education; Motion; Young Adults; Asperger Syndrome; Self Concept; Interpersonal Competence; Human Body; Dance Education; Intervention; Therapy; Comparative Analysis; Control Groups; Experimental Groups; Well Being; Program Effectiveness; Foreign Countries; Questionnaires; Pretests Posttests; Psychological Patterns; Empathy; Statistical Analysis; Qualitative Research; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Autismus; Bewegungsbildung; Bewegungsablauf; Young adult; Junger Erwachsener; Asperger-Syndrom; Selbstkonzept; Interpersonale Kompetenz; Menschlicher Körper; Dance; Education; Tanzerziehung; Therapie; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Ausland; Fragebogen; Empathie; Statistische Analyse; Qualitative Forschung; Deutschland
Abstract	From the 1970s on, case studies reported the effectiveness of therapeutic mirroring in movement with children with autism spectrum disorder. In this feasibility study, we tested a dance movement therapy intervention based on mirroring in movement in a population of 31 young adults with autism spectrum disorder (mainly high-functioning and Asperger's syndrome) with the aim to increase body awareness, social skills, self-other distinction, empathy, and well-being. We employed a manualized dance movement therapy intervention implemented in hourly sessions once a week for 7 weeks. The treatment group (n = 16) and the no-intervention control group (n = 15) were matched by sex, age, and symptom severity. Participants did not participate in any other therapies for the duration of the study. After the treatment, participants in the intervention group reported improved well-being, improved body awareness, improved self-other distinction, and increased social skills. The dance movement therapy-based mirroring approach seemed to address more primary developmental aspects of autism than the presently prevailing theory-of-mind approach. Results suggest that dance movement therapy can be an effective and feasible therapy approach for autism spectrum disorder, while future randomized control trials with bigger samples are needed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01