Introduction: Steering the Road Map of Arts Therapies Research with Persons on the Autism Spectrum

Individual differences among human beings are probably as infinite as the colors in the electromagnetic spectrum. The deficit model identifies interventions aiming towards outcomes that potentially modify behaviours perceived as challenging, behaviours that typically do not fit within societal norms. Arts therapies/Creative arts therapies is a collective term that refers to the disciplines of art therapy/psychotherapy, music therapy, dramatherapy and dance movement therapy/psychotherapy, all of which use artistic media for therapeutic interaction, engagement and eventually therapeutic change. Differences in perception of the autism spectrum are also reflected in the choice of research designs and approaches. This chapter traces the journey of a music therapist with training in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) prototyping a digital music therapy approach with autistic children. Celebrated in the chapter is the power of genuine connections through the medium of art, making a real difference to ways of being.