The Use of Chimes and Keyboard Classes in Teaching and Reinforcing Socially Appropriate Behavior

Abstract

The ability of music to enrich lives stretches around the world. Picture for a moment a rural village in Kenya. In this village a special school lies in the beautiful green hills of tea. The children in this school work hard to achieve simple daily living tasks, harder than many children ever will. These children ali have various types of disabilities and mental retardation. Now picture a teacher seating his students each morning on a bench to brush their teeth. As he assists one, a couple other students run away, and the teacher tires as he chases each one dawn. One morning the teacher deviates from the daily routine and plays the harmonica as the class sits on the same bench. At this moment none of the students leave the bench, but look at him and listen. The music captures the children. lt touches them. enriches them in a different way than they experienced before. The researcher hoped to strike the same contact at Hope Network by teaching the adults with disabilities how to create music for themselves. Today, the focus for adults with disabilities is to teach them functional skills, to make their lives as normal as possible, and help them live in the community. Filling leisure time is often an aspect that is overlooked. But, when people do not know how to fill free time appropriately, they often become involved in deviant acts such as drugs, or theft. These people then end up in facilities and no longer live in the community (Thaut 1992, p. 88). The researcher taught keyboard and chimes classes to the consumers, who put on a recital at the end of eight weeks. A different behavior was selected for each of three consumers to see if behavior changed. The impact of followed by the addition of a music contingent. The researcher attempted to gain answers, or at least insight into the following two questions: 1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of using music as a contingent and how appropriate is it for those with disabilities or mental retardation? 2. What is the affect of keyboard and chimes classes on individuals' behaviors, particularly socially appropriate behaviors?