Subjective experiences of autistic adults remain under-researched, especially in the field of art. To learn more about their uses and functions of music, we interviewed 13 autistic adults and through a hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis found four overarching themes: Well-being, Identity and self-development, Connectedness, and Negative experiences. Findings show a broad and deep meaning of music in their lives, spanning from seemingly trivial functions such as making chores more enjoyable, to existential questions, such as choosing to stay alive. We discuss the often-overlooked negative effects or experiences of music, noting that positive and negative effects must always be addressed together if we are to use music to lower stress and support well-being.

Despite many decades of academic interest in music and autism, we know little about what music means to autistic adults and how they experience it. The few existing studies lack a common theoretical basis and are therefore difficult to compare and integrate. To address this gap, we investigated whether Self-Determination Theory can be used as a common framework for understanding the functions of music as experienced by autistic adults. We focused specifically on the support and thwarting of the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). Thirteen autistic adults (seven women and six men; aged between 24 and 69 years) described their experiences with musicking in a one-to-one semi-structured online interview. We analyzed the transcripts using directed qualitative content analysis (DQCA). We found that music engagement can thwart as well as support autonomy, competence, and relatedness and that Self-Determination Theory indeed offers a robust starting point for understanding the functions of music as seen by autistic adults. We illustrate how basic psychological needs provide a red thread connecting all previous studies that investigated the experience of music in autistic adults.

Research about autistic people’s subjective experiences with music and its impact on their well-being is limited, despite its common presence in public spaces and support services. To provide an empirical framework and tools for future research, we examined the relevance of the participatory music engagement for mental well-being model (Perkins et al., 2020) for autistic adults. The model outlines four pathways through which music supports well-being: managing and expressing emotion, providing respite, facilitating self-development, and facilitating connections. Based on the model, we developed a new questionnaire, the Participatory Music Engagement for Mental Well-being (PaMEW), and collected responses from 63 autistic adults. We found that most respondents thought the items relevant to how they experience the relationship between music and well-being, the factorial structure of their responses aligned with the model, and their comments reflected the four pathways, though they also highlighted nuances not covered by the model. The study underscores the need for nuanced tools that reflect the unique ways autistic individuals use music to support their well-being, suggesting future revisions of PaMEW in collaboration with the autistic community to enhance its relevance and clarity.