Effect of music engagement and movement on attentiveness and memory in children with down syndrome: A quasi-experimental research

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome (DS) could have problems with attentiveness and memory due to innate developmental deficits. Studies have found that music can help improve the attentiveness and memory of children with DS. Orff-Schulwerk, a creative and improvisational music pedagogy, is often used to support the development of children with special needs. However, no study has used Orff-Schulwerk-based music interventions to explore their influence on the attentiveness and memory of children with DS. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the effect of music engagement and movement (MEM) on attentiveness and memory in children with Down syndrome. This quasi-experimental study involved 8-week MEM activities based on Orff-Schulwerk as the music intervention. This study recruited 18 children with DS, aged 7–10 years. MEM was used to teach vocabulary to children with DS and measured their memory and attention in classes. The results demonstrated that the attentiveness and memory of the participants were significantly improved in the MEM classes compared with the control group. The results of the paired t-test also showed statistically significant differences in attentiveness (t = 9.88, p < 0.001) and memory (t = -10.92, p < 0.001) before and after the intervention. The results of this study supported that MEM could help improve attentiveness and memory in children with DS. Implications and future directions are also discussed.