The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the 'Focus on the Plot Music
Therapy Program' on improving the speaking behavior of children with selective
mutism. The study subject was a 5
th
grade elementary school boy who had been
diagnosed with adjustment disorder due to selective mutism, and who had been
assigned to a special class at ‘S’elementary school in Seoul, Korea. The study was a
single subject case study.
The present study was composed of a modified reversal design ABABA. The
examination was conducted 27 times over a 7-week period and the final Stage A was
conducted to verify the follow up. Three Language Arts sessions(A) were performed 6,
5, and 4times each, excluding any of the music therapy elements. The two ‘Focus on
the Plot Music Therapy Program’sessions(B) were performed 6 times each while the
language arts class was in session.
Resultantly, the subject spoke 1(language arts class 1), 4.8(music therapy intervention
1), 0.8(language arts class 2), 10.8(music therapy intervention2), 2.2(language arts class
3) times on average during the ABABA study. The alternate sessions clearly showed
the subject to be more interactive during the music therapy sessions. The follow-up
session showed that the subject attempted to speak almost twice as many times as in
the first session.