Piano Lessons: Fostering Theory of Mind in ASD Through Imitation

Abstract

Individuals with ASD display incompetency in developing the Theory of Mind (ToM), a mechanism that allows humans to interpret others’ intentions and reciprocate actions, leading to difficulty in social communication and interaction. The Simulation Theory of ToM proposes that the brain constructs a simulation of others’ states of mind through neural activities in the mirror neuron system; this neural circuit plays an essential role in action observation and imitation. In ASD, the mirror neuron system is believed to be malfunctioning. Consequently, much effort has been put into finding cures for this deficiency, leading to developing interventions that involve motor imitation, such as music therapy. While the positive effect of music on imitation is profoundly recognised in a therapy setting, other music-based practices such as lessons have not yet been widely explored. This literature review investigates whether piano lessons can become a potential tool to foster action imitation and ToM in ASD by exploring existing evidence regarding piano pedagogy and imitation skills in these individuals.