Music and the Rett Disorder

The Swedish Rett Center Survey

Bibliographic Data

ID4685356
AuthorsBjörn Merker (0000-0003-2941-6133), Märith Bergström-Isacsson, Ingegerd Witt Engerström
Year2001
Volume10
Issue1
Pages42-43
Publication date2001-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueNordisk Tidsskrift for Musikkterapi (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0803-9828 • E-ISSN: 1944-8260
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08098130109478016
OpenAlexW2055384090
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited8

Observations in the course of music therapy as well as informal reports by relatives and other caregivers indicate that music constitutes a significant category of experience for people with Rett syndrome, despite the severe cognitive, communicative and social disability produced by this neurological developmental disorder. Since there is a lack of systematic information about the role of music in the lives of persons with Rett syndrome, we have conducted a questionnaire survey of primary caregivers of people with Rett syndrome in Sweden. The results reported here confirm that music appears to hold significance for people with Rett syndrome, as revealed by their responsiveness to music and their possession of musical favourites reported by primary caregivers. Music, a cognitively complex product of human culture, may thus provide a window on the cognitive capacities of these severely afflicted persons, and should be featured in all efforts to enrich the quality of their lives. Keywords: Rett Syndromevalue of musicquestionnaire based survey

Cognition · Developmental psychology · Music therapy · Possession (linguistics · Psychiatry · Rett syndrome · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Clinical Psychology · Family and Disability Support Research · Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub