Abstract
Music has therapeutic potential for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Traditional
music therapy often lacks personalization, with music selected by therapists rather than tailored to individual preferences. Current studies on ASD individuals’ music preferences often overlook cultural
inclusivity and the impact of lyrics. Moreover, existing recommendation systems do not consider music
preferences tailored for therapeutic goals. This thesis explores how music aids emotional regulation,
cognitive functioning, and social interaction in individuals with ASD, emphasizing cultural inclusivity.
The study includes analyses of music specific community for neurotypical individuals (NT) and ASD
communities on Reddit, cross-cultural comparisons between Non-Indian and Indian populations, a pilot
study with Indian children with ASD, and the development of a personalized Music Recommendation
System. Reddit analysis revealed diverse music preferences, underscoring the need for personalized
interventions. Cross-cultural comparisons showed non-Indian participants preferred Rock and Western
Classical music, while Indian participants favored Indian film and Devotional music, reflecting cultural influences on emotional expression. The pilot study with Indian children identified diverse music
preferences, including Indian Devotional music, Nursery rhymes, and Indian film music. Listening to
preferred music indicated positive behavioral changes, such as reduced anxiety and improved social
interaction, highlighting music’s therapeutic potential.
The GOAL (Genre, Optimization, Acoustic Features) based Music Recommendation System offers
personalized suggestions based on genres, acoustic features, and lyrical themes relevant to emotional
regulation, cognitive functioning, and social skills. By categorizing goals into emotional, cognitive, and
social functions, the system aligns with diverse ASD needs and provides personalized music recommendations using similarity metrics. Evaluation metrics indicated the model accurately recommends
relevant music, achieving a high proportion of liked music (precision) and capturing a significant portion of preferred music (recall). Behavioral changes showed effectiveness in mood management, focus,
sensory load regulation, and sleep regularity, with mixed results in communication and social skills.
In conclusion, this thesis underscores the importance of recognizing and accommodating ASD individuals’ music preferences in therapy. Despite limitations such as small sample sizes and subjective
reports, findings offer insights into music’s therapeutic potential for ASD. Future research should include larger, diverse samples and longitudinal studies to enhance the proposed system’s effectiveness.