W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1996 Students with autism: A light/sound technology intervention Patricia Powell Woodbury College of William & Mary - School of Education Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Educational Psychology Commons, Instructional Media Design Commons, and the Special Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Woodbury, Patricia Powell, "Students with autism: A light/sound technology intervention" (1996). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539618724. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25774/w4-84wg-4h14 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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STUDENTS WITH AUTISM: A LIGHT/SOUND TECHNOLOGY INTERVENTION A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education By Patricia Powell Woodbury December 1996 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9711373 UMI Microfonn 97ll373 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. STUDENTS WITH AUTISM: A LIGHT/SOUND TECHNOLOGY INTERVENTION by Patricia Powell Woodbury Approved December !996 by J9tt~ Chairperson of Doctoral Committee Charles 0. Matthews. II. Ph.D. II - --- - ~-·-· - Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my husband. Gerard. without whose support. love and patience it would not have been possible: my mother. who taught me about love: my son. daughter and granddaughter who helped me live it: and to my grandfather. who .. vas a bear:· lll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply grateful to my committee for their patience. help and support through this process: Dr. Lavach for his persistence in tinding alternative routes for a very long journey: to Chas. for his words that were .. balm for my soul .. when I needed them most: and my special thanks to Carolyn. who has taught me so much and gone so many .. extm miles ... I would especially like to thank my friend. Ella ...editor extmodinaire .. for her expertise. help. and support all along the way: and to Claire for her patience. I would like to thank Waller. my friend and colleague. who has .. walked the walk .. with me and let me lean when I needed to. There are so many others who have had such an important part of making this dream come true: Arline and Cammy. my spiritual mentors: Joan. who helped on many levels: Page. Puckett. and Miss Clark. my teachers through the years: the St. Andrews Choir. the Tiger Lilies. and The Moving Spirit Dancers: and to my students from whom continue to learn. I am grateful to Dr. William Deering. a pediatric neurologist. who took the time and interest to write a letter of help and support for this research. I am especially grateful to Dr. Harold Russell. whom I have never met in person. for supplying the lighusound technology. reading my proposal. writing a letter of support for the research. encouraging and believing in me all along the way. and being a true mentor for a stmggling student. The students with autism. their parents and teachers all hold a special place in my heart and I thank them for their help and cooperation in this research. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 2 Statement of the Problem ......................................................................................... 2 Justification of the Study .......................................................................................... 2 Theoretical Rationale ................................................................................................ 4 Detinition of Terms ................................................................................................. 8 Research Questions ................................................................................................ I I Sample Description and Data Gathering Procedures ............................................. I I Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................... 12 Overview of the Remaining Chapters .................................................................... 13 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................................ 15 Historical and Theoretical Development ................................................................ 15 Descriptive Topics ................................................................................................. 21 Arousal! Anxiety/Hypersensitivity .......................................................................... 21 Attention/On-task Behaviors .................................................................................. 25 Acting Out Behaviors ............................................................................................ 30 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Research on Population .......................................................................................... 37 3. COLLECTION OF DATA .......................................................................................... 48 Sample of Population ............................................................................................. 48 Data Gathering ....................................................................................................... 48 Instrumentation ...................................................................................................... 49 Evaluation Instrument ............................................................................................ 56 Research Design .................................................................................................... 58 Specific Research Questions .................................................................................. 62 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 62 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................................... 63 4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS .......................................................... 65 Case Report Number