20.500.12556/RUP-22551 Role of music therapy in the development of language skills in children with autism spectrum disorder a systematic literature review Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that typically emerges in early childhood, marked by difficulties in communication, social interaction, behaviour, and emotional regulation. Despite these challenges, many children with ASD demonstrate exceptional musical abilities, making music a powerful medium for enhancing self-expression, fostering social bonds, and supporting neurological development crucial for speech and social skills. Historically, minimally verbal children with ASD were often excluded from research due to the difficulty of assessment using standardised tools; however, recent advancements have enabled more inclusive studies. Over the past decade, naturalistic approaches have gained prominence, with music therapy emerging as a particularly promising intervention. A systematic literature review, based on original research sourced from PubMed, Sage, and ScienceDirect, examined six studies involving children aged two to twelve years with minimal verbal abilities and a clinical diagnosis of autism. These studies consistently found that music therapy significantly supports the development of language and social communication skills, while also enhancing fronto-temporal brain connectivity. The review contributes valuable insights into the current state of research, underscores the importance of early intervention and parental involvement, and lays the groundwork for further exploration into the role of music therapy in language development for children with ASD. autism spectrum disorder children minimal language abilities social communication fronto-temporal brain connectivity music therapy non-music therapy motnja avtističnega spektra otroci minimalne jezikovne sposobnosti socialna komunikacija možganska funkcionalna fronto-temporalna povezava glasbena terapija neglasbena terapija true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-01-28 09:02:02 2026-01-28 09:02:07 2026-01-29 03:04:56 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 str. 105-142 Vol. 18 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova NiDoloceno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 78:159.92 1855-0541 10.5281/zenodo.18376203 266377219 RAZ_Mlakar_Lucija_2026.pdf RAZ_Mlakar_Lucija_2026.pdf 1 606DA8340AF69283C118FC88CE495D60 f95b8ff1bbbd93be0489631407c7081d094cc57dc1daba748a5b418fe85caf10 a8fc0124-fc1f-11f0-b092-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=32803 http://www.iiass.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1373:role-of-music-therapy-in-the-development-of-language-skills-in-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-a-systematic-literature-review&catid=139:issues-in-2026&Itemid=707 0 f4eaab7f-fc1f-11f0-b092-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=32805 Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije 0 0 0