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MODIFYING BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM THROUGH STORYTELLING

MICHAEL EMATA ECOBEN

· Volume II Issue IV

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to modify the behavior of children with autism through storytelling.  The study included ten participants diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the survey. All the participants belonged to the functioning class of autism and were enrolled in City Central School Special Education Center.  This study used a descriptive research design.   In gathering the data, the teacher-rated the pupils before and after storytelling. In analyzing and interpreting the data, the frequency was used using the Behavior Checklist of Scott Greenway, Ph.D.  Seven female participants were involved in the research, and three males whose ages ranged from five (5) to 13 years old. Over the course of two months, the children with autism improved in six areas: a.) attention, activity level, and related behavior; b.) non-compliant and defiant behavior; c.) aggressive and anti-social behavior; d.) worry and anxiety; e.) sadness, irritability, and mood swings; and f.) other areas such as tics, compulsion, staring, and social skill.  Based on the findings, storytelling positively affects the behaviors of children with autism. The findings of this analysis indicate that storytelling as a teaching and learning method modifies the behavior of children with autism.  The results showed that when learners are exposed to storytelling in a classroom setting, they are most likely to engage themselves in the learning process and practice reflective learning as they process the information on a deeper, more meaningful level.  Furthermore, the participants displayed transformational learning in terms of attention, activity level, and related behavior; non-compliant and defiant behavior; aggressive and anti-social behavior; worry and anxiety; sadness, irritability and mood swings; and other areas such as tics, compulsion, staring and social skills. The majority of the pedagogical value of storytelling is based on the subject matter to be covered and the storyteller's ability.  Storytelling plays a vital role in modifying the behaviors of children with autism. Teachers handling special education classes should employ this storytelling technique because pupils diagnosed with functioning autism began to show positive behavior and learned more effectively.  Different styles should use the method every other day so that pupils will not feel exhausted or restless with the monotonous activities.  The storyteller may carry out varied activities related to the stories.  The storyteller can incorporate storytelling in English and Maths.  Parents and guardians alike who do not have access to special education can use storytelling to modify their children's behavior if diagnosed with autism.

Keywords:  Autism, Storytelling, Modifying Behaviors

INTRODUCTION

It is highly important in helping autistic children cope with the reality of their lives (Crozier, 2005). These poems are used to accompany various stories and characters are encouraged to participate. Storytelling helps them retain their knowledge, sharpens their listening abilities, and encourages them to engage in imagination. 

For predating the written human past, it is a way of transmitting lessons from one generation to the next (Rossiter, 2002). Narrative meaning influences how we discover and comprehend the significance of our lives, as well as how we construct meaning in our daily lives.  Every experience and object is processed in the brain as a narrative (Caine et al. 2005). Consequently, people speak about stories acting as an effective means of gaining information preservation and transmitting it to other people (Denning, 2004; Richter & Koppett, 2000). 

The benefits of active learners are readily found when stories engage them with the knowledge they are introduced to, while in conventional classrooms, learning happens more through interaction than being made to take part in narratives (Richter & Koppett, 2000). It also appears that stories produced in a learning group fulfill several learning theories and the principle of brain-based learning. 

Storytelling is good for you The teacher's ability to tell stories improves the learning atmosphere and the mood. Entertaining stories help to alleviate anxieties, and are also funny. In learning communities, strong stories help students develop their sense of community and belonging (Richter and Kopp 2000). 

Such approaches encourage connecting with pupils on a level that many teaching methods don't (Rossiter, 2002). learning experiences (Eck, 2006). Since learning experiences correlated with emotions are more easily processed and remembered, the fact that stories elicit emotions increases their learning effectiveness (Weiss, 2000). Perry (2000) agrees, claiming that when stories elicit strong feelings, the cognitive sections of the brain are triggered in order to store the new knowledge. 

Third, due to the degree of active interaction generated, storytelling has many of the benefits of experimental learning (Richter & Koppett, 2000). The vivid images evoked by storytelling help students identify with characters, making them active participants in the learning process. When learners are engaged in this way, research shows that they have a better understanding of what they've learned and can apply what they've learned in the workplace. For this reason, Mcdrury and Alterio (2003) promote the experimental aspect of storytelling and argue that it is a particularly effective teaching strategy for young professionals. Similarly, according to Heo (2003), stories help people to experience the world outside their own lives. 

Furthermore, storytelling appeals to many intelligence areas, including spatial, linguistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence, as well as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles (Eck, 2006). Many other non-traditional or traditional teaching approaches lack the depth of influence that storytelling has on learning variables and needs. 

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have distinct characteristics that set them apart from their peers who face other challenges. People with ASD have a hard time relating to other people and situations, have delayed communication skills, and engage in repetitive or self-stimulatory behaviors (Simpson & Myles,2001). 

Children with ASD may engage in repetitive behaviors, exhibit hyperactivity or inattention, struggle with social situations, dislike changes in their environment, struggle to generalize learned skills to new situations, and display aggressive or disruptive behaviors (Simpson & Myles, 2001). 

Sensory, relating, body and object use, and language behaviors are all classified as behaviors in children with autism. Sensory behaviors include: poor visual discrimination when learning, sometimes no "startled response" to loud noise, often no reaction to painful stimuli such as bruises, cuts, and injections, frequently will not blink when bright light is directed toward eyes, frequently covers ears at several sounds, squints, frowns, or covers eyes when in the presence of natural light, squints, frowns, or covers eyes when in the presence of natural light, squints, frown, Not following simple commands given once, pronoun reversal, atonal speech, does not respond to own name when called out by two others, rarely says "yes" or "I," does not follow simple commands involving propositions, gets desired objects by gesturing, repeats phrases over and over, can only point to five named objects, and uses 0-5 spontaneous words per day are all language behaviors.  Language activity has strong reactions to changes in routine/environment, has "special abilities" in one field of development, which seems to rule out mental retardation, extreme temper tantrums and/or regular mild tantrums, damages others by biting, hitting, kicking, etc., does not wait for needs to be met, toileting problems, does not dress self with.

METHODOLOGY

The analysis is mainly descriptive. For the 2015-2016 school year, it planned to use storytelling to improve the attitudes of children with autism at City Central School Special Education Center. The analysis took place at Yacapin Velez, Cagayan de Oro City's City Central School Special Education Center. Children with special needs may receive special education services at the school. There were ten teachers on the faculty. From January 6 to March 12, 2016, the study lasted for more than two months. Scott Greenway, Ph.D.'s checklist was included in the analysis. It has a variety of issues. Dr. Greenaway designed the instrument, which was material validated by a public school SPED instructor as suitable for Filipino students. The e responses were recorded, counted, and tabulated after the observation and compilation of the completed checklist. The study relied on frequency and number.

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