Effects of dance movement therapy on adult patients with autism spectrum disorder

• Verfasst von: Mastrominico, Anna [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Fuchs, Thomas [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hirjak, Dusan [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Effects of dance movement therapy on adult patients with autism spectrum disorder
• Titelzusatz: a randomized controlled trial
• Verf.angabe: Anna Mastrominico, Thomas Fuchs, Elizabeth Manders, Lena Steffinger, Dusan Hirjak, Maik Sieber, Elisabeth Thomas, Anja Holzinger, Ariane Konrad, Nina Bopp and Sabine C. Koch
• E-Jahr: 2018
• Jahr: 29 June 2018
• Umfang: 18 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 15.10.2019
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Behavioral Sciences
• Ort Quelle: Basel : MDPI AG, 2011
• Jahr Quelle: 2018
• Band/Heft Quelle: 8 (2018,7) Artikel-Nummer 61, Seite 1-18, 18 Seiten
• ISSN Quelle: 2076-328X
• DOI: doi:10.3390/bs8070061
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Sach-SW: dance movement therapy
• Sach-SW: DMT
• Sach-SW: embodiment
• Sach-SW: empathy
• Sach-SW: mirroring
• Sach-SW: randomized controlled trial
• K10plus-PPN: 167886997X

Abstract

This study examines the effects of dance movement therapy (DMT) on empathy for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DMT based on the embodiment approach offers body-centered interventions, such as mirroring techniques, to address the needs of ASD patients. Accordingly, findings of a feasibility study suggest that DMT may be an effective approach for clients on the ASD spectrum. The present study is a randomized controlled trial that was conducted as a multicenter study within the framework of the EU-funded research project TESIS (Toward an Embodied Science of Intersubjectivity), and employed a two-factorial between-subject design. The treatment group (n = 35) participated in a 10-week manualized DMT intervention, whereas the control group (n = 22) received treatment only after a waiting period. Empathy, measured with the Cognitive and Emotional Empathy Questionnaire (CEEQ), was the main variable of interest, analyzed by a repeated measures analysis of variance. In order to also include incomplete data cases, we used the expectation-maximization algorithm for missing data estimation. Results suggest no significant changes in overall empathy between groups. We discuss the results and limitations, as well as future research options.