Introduction: Nowadays, more and more children around the world are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This primarily affects an individual's behavior, cognition, social and motor skills, as well as the performance of occupations. By using musical activities in occupational therapy, we aim to influence these areas and provide individuals with autism the greatest possible independence in performing daily activities and integrating into society. Occupations positively influence a person's quality of life, and music can be one of these occupations. Purpose: To gain insight and describe the significance of musical activities in the occupational therapy treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: In this diploma work, we employed a descriptive method of work by reviewing literature, presented using the PRISMA diagram. We limited our search to articles published from 2014 to 2024. The literature was searched in English using the following keywords: music, music activities, music therapy, music intervention, musical therapy AND autism, asd, autism spectrum disorder AND occupational therapy, occupational therapist, ot. The search was conducted in five databases: PUBMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and OTseeker. Results: We included 8 articles in the final analysis, consisting of four literature reviews, one comparative studies, one pre-and post-test study, one descriptive study and one case study. From these, we identified three main themes: ways of using musical activities in occupational therapy, social inclusion and communication, and emotional regulation and sensory modulation. Discussion and conclusion: Different genres, volumes, and rhythms of music affect the human body in various ways. Music can influence an individual's participation in activities, emotional stability, self-confidence, reduce feelings of anxiety, improve verbal and nonverbal communication and increases social interaction. The inclusion of musical activities in the occupational therapy treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder positively affects their quality of life, communication, social inclusion and interpersonal relationships, especially with their parents. Individuals with autism can use music as a medium to express themselves, which helps us understand their needs. Additionally, music has a calming effect and aids in managing emotions and sensory sensitivities. Thus, music has a significant positive impact on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and its effectiveness and accessibility make it a valuable tool in occupational therapy.
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