Exploring how the neurodiversity paradigm can inform music therapists when working with autistic people: A literature review

Abstract

The current ontology of music therapy practice is heavily influenced by the medical model of disability, with a tendency to focus on deficiency and situate disability within the individual.(Pickard, 2020) In recent years, music therapists have emerged to challenge this dominant discourse within the music therapy profession. In the case of autistic people, the neurodiversity paradigm is one of the perspectives to challenge the medical model’s interest in causation and cure.(Kapp et al., 2013) The neurodiversity movement argues for recognition and acceptance of valuable difference of the neurodivergent. (Runswick-Cole, 2014) In this narrative literature review, the concept of neurodiversity and related social model of disability were explored. Texts relating to the neurodiversity paradigm and music therapy with autistic people have been reviewed and explicated into themes. It is then followed by discussion on how the knowledge and understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm can create positive impacts when music therapists work with autistic people. I hope this literature review can bring benefits to our profession by maintaining an awareness about the wider context of our work and examining the paradigms we consciously and subconsciously work with and portray as music therapists. This is part of the driving force to encourage music therapists ‘leaving the pathology paradigm out and inviting the neurodiversity paradigm into practice’.(Leza, 2020, p. 215) Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr Nicky Haire, my project