New guide for Autistic learners set to provide free access to music

Nation.Cymru staff

A new free guide, developed with researchers at a Welsh university, aims to help music practitioners and school staff better support Autistic children and young people in Autism Resource Bases.

The guide was developed over four years by Live Music Now, with the final year of research carried out in collaboration with the University of South Wales, funded by the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research at the University of Southampton.

It brings together evidence from a review of existing research, a national survey of over 100 ARB settings across all four UK nations, collaboration with Autistic musicians and professional stakeholders, and musician-in-residence projects in Wales and Northern Ireland.

The number of ARBs, dedicated classes within mainstream schools that provide specialist support for Autistic pupils, in mainstream schools has grown rapidly across the UK in recent years.

Research indicates that music builds confidence and wellbeing, and can be both a tool for communication and a means of building communication skills for Autistic young people.

Yet the project’s early research found that music provision in many settings is limited – and that most have little or no contact with their local music service or hub.

Karen Irwin, Strategic Director for Music in Education at Live Music Now, said: “Music has real potential to support communication, wellbeing, and learning for Autistic young people – but too many children in ARBs are missing out.

“This guide gives practitioners a practical, evidence-and values-based framework to change that, whatever their musical background or budget.”

Dr Beth Pickard, Senior Lecturer in Music Therapy at USW and the project’s academic lead, said: “Our review found a striking absence of UK research on music in ARBs. This project has sought to address that gap – and to centre the voices of Autistic people throughout.

“The guide reflects what we have learned from Autistic musicians, from children and young people, and from staff working in these settings every day.”

Strength-based understanding 

The guide is neurodiversity-affirming, grounded in the social model of disability, and advocates for a strength-based understanding of autism, designed to be adaptable to a wide range of settings, budgets and levels of musical expertise.

It was developed collaboratively with Autistic musician and music therapist Alex Lupo, Creative Lead and Trainer at Live Music Now, who led the musician-in-residence projects, and a steering group of Autistic musicians with diverse lived experience.

Alex Lupo said: “This guide has been built around what Autistic young people tell us through their engagement with music – what they find meaningful, what helps them feel safe, and what opens things up for them.”

The guide is available free from the Live Music Now website, Autism Resource Bases page, alongside a companion film documenting the project, and policy briefings developed with associates at the University of Southampton.

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