Preliminary communication
Listening Therapy and Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Dragana Mamić
; Centar za autizam-Zagreb
Rea Fulgosi Masnjak
; Odsjek za inkluzivnu edukaciju i rehabilitaciju, Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
Our investigation was carried out in order to assess the effect of the Listening therapy application on pupils with autism.
Listening Therapy is such a music therapy which is based on similar therapy programs (Auditory Integration Training“, „Tomatis“, „Mozart effect“). It uses binaural hearing stimulation with the reproduction of classic music containing great number of high frequencies, ambiental music, nature sounds, pop music and synthetically generated sounds.
Our program was applied during the one school year period in the group of five pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, of both sexes, one girl, four boys. All participants were eleven years old and were included into the day care treatment-school in the Centre for Autism, Zagreb. Pupils were included into the treatment twice a week, during one school hour. At the same time Listening Therapy program was part of the Sensory stimulation program. In order to evaluate possible effects of the applied programs further assessment instruments were administered: The Test of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (Viola, 2002., adaptation Fulgosi-Masnjak, Osmančević, Lang, 2004.), Check list: Listening ( Mandaule, 2004. Croatian adaptation 2008.), The Listening Integration Trainig evaluation List (Mamić, Fulgosi-Masnjak, 2009). Obtained results show positive changes in the Receptive listening domain, Energy level domain and Adaptive/Social domain, as well as better sensory integration. The Application of Listening therapy was proved to be effective in creating positive changes in pupils with autism.
Keywords
Listening training; Autistic spectrum disorders; Sensory Integration Dysfunction; Communication
Hrčak ID:
57067
URI
Publication date:
19.7.2010.
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