MUSIC THERAPY AND BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS

OF A CHILD WITH AUTISM

___________________

A Research Paper
Presented to the
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Holy Name University
Tagbilaran City

___________________

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
STUDENT TEACHING

____________________

By

Alaba, Cindi Emmille L. Geonzon, Mia B.

Comique, Cheressie W. Lumagbas, Joni Bianca B.
Digal, Marifel S. Pajo, Niña Samantha C.

March 2017
 APPROVAL SHEET

This thesis entitled, “Music Therapy and Behavioral Patterns of a Child

with Autism”, has been prepared and submitted by:

Alaba, Cindi Emmille L. Geonzon, Mia B.

Comique, Cheressie W. Lumagbas, Joni Bianca B.
Digal, Marifel S. Pajo, Niña Samantha C.

THESIS COMMITTEE

DR. MICHELE S. RELLITA

Content and Technical Adviser

_______________________________________________________________

PANEL OF EXAMINEES

Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination with a grade of ___________.

DR. ROQUE A. BONGCAC

Chairman

DR. RAFUNZEL Y. BULILAWA MRS. ARLENE B. LOQUIAS, M.A.

Faculty, College of Education Faculty, College of Education
 ACCEPTANCE SHEET

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree Bachelor of Elementary Education Major in Special Education.

DR. ROQUE A. BONGCAC

Dean, College of Education
Holy Name University

___________________________
Date
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The researchers of this study would like to express their heartfelt gratitude

to the following who have contributed to the success of this research.

Dr. Roque A. Bongcac, the Dean of the College of Education, for

his…………………………………………………….……………;

Dr. Michele S. Rellita, the group’s thesis adviser, for her

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………;

The thesis panelists, (followed by their names), for

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………;

The research respondents ………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………;

The researchers’ family and friends, for

…………………………………………………………………. and

Above all, to our Almighty Father, for instilling in us strength, courage and

wisdom that helped us finish this research endeavor.

Thank you very much!

The Researchers
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

APPROVAL SHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

LIST OF FIGURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Theoretical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Schematic Diagram of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Related Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Scope and Limitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

 RESEARCH PROCEDURES

Research Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Research Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Research Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Data-Gathering Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DEFINITION OF TERMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

II. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

OF DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

III. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Appendix A – Letter of Permission . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Appendix B – Music Therapy Sessions Conducted . . . 47

Appendix C – Questionnaire for Parent . . . . . . . . . 65

CURRICULUM VITAE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
 LIST OF TABLE

TABLE

1 Distributions of Parent’s Rates on the

Different Behaviors of the Child Before and
After Implementation of Music Therapy . . . . . . . . . 35
 LIST OF FIGURE

FIGURE

1 Schematic Diagram of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

 THESIS ABSTRACT

Title of the Study: “Music Therapy and the Behavioral Patterns of a Child with
Autism”

Researchers:
Alaba, Cindi Emmille L. Geonzon, Mia B.
Comique, Cheressie W. Lumagbas, Joni Bianca B.
Digal, Marifel S. Pajo, Niña Samantha C.

Adviser: Dr. Michele S. Rellita

This study sought to see how a five-year-old girl diagnosed with autism
manifest behaviors when given music therapy sessions. These 25 sessions were
conducted within the months of November and December of last year, 2016.
Specifically, the study sought to find out what changes can be observed in the
behavioral patterns of the subject, a girl with autism, during music therapy
sessions particularly in the aspects of responsiveness, expressiveness, relational
tendencies, and emotional tendencies. They also wanted to find out if the music
therapy facilitators and the subject’s parent share the same general observations
on the behavioral patterns of the child with autism before and after the music
therapy sessions.

The study made use of qualitative research in the form of a case study on
a child with autism. Close observations were done while the researchers took
turns in facilitating music therapy sessions with the child in the convenience of
her own home. With the employ of music therapy, and close observations, the
researchers also interviewed a secondary participant, the child’s mother.

Based on the findings of this study, there was some kind of a potential for
music therapy to contribute significantly to behavior modification, particularly in
the aspects of responsiveness, expressiveness, relational tendencies, and
emotional tendencies. It is believed that such intervention can help decrease
undesirable traits, and increase desirable ones.

It was recommended that there be a provision of more activities and inputs

that could enhance the aspects of “relational tendencies” and “emotional
tendencies” which received the same qualitative description before and after the
music therapy was conducted; it means that there wasn’t a great significant
progress in such aspects. Moreover, another recommendation was the
pursuance of a similar study by future researchers with a longer time frame, or an
increase in the length of the intervention, for the conduct of music therapy
sessions to be able to come up with more substantial findings.

*NOTE: this will be made only upon completion of the thesis (FINAL oral defense)