Reseach Summaries

DO NOT CITE WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION FROM AUTHOR

Principle Investigator:

• Melanie Tanner
• Email: Mel11778@yahoo.com

Date started:  

• December 2001

Research Question/Hypothesis:

Can Therapeutic Listening assist in improving body awareness, sensory modulation, attention, and fine motor skills in a child with developmental delays?

Long-Term Goals:

• Student will demonstrate a decreased frequency of impulsive behaviors
• Student will improve his ability to maneuver through space
• Student will improve fine motor skills

Participants:  

1 boy - age 4.6 years

Design:  

• Pre-test/post-test
• Behavior checklist data taken in 3 different school-day conditions: Structured play, enrichment time, and playground time.

Instruments:  

• Behavior checklist created by team
• Draw-A-Person (DAP)
• Write first name
• Copy geometric shapes

Preliminary Results:

Behavior changes noted within first week of using headphones - more attentive and focused in schoolwork. Began painting for longer periods, gained interest in writing his name.   Attention and awareness improved steadily throughout the program. Major improvement in DAP, handwriting, and copying shapes

Pre-intervention data showed 158 instances of impulsive behavior.   End of intervention data showed 22 instances (85% decrease) and one week post-intervention data showed 34 instances (78.5% decrease).

Changes in target behaviors in 3 conditions:

• Playground time: Significant decrease during intervention, slight increase post intervention
• Enrichment time: Decrease during intervention and slight increase post intervention
• Structured play: Cessation of all behaviors during intervention, increase post intervention