Date
9-25-2025
Department
School of Music
Degree
Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology (MA)
Chair
Michael Harland
Keywords
Special Education, Music Education, World Music Play facilitation
Disciplines
Music | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Leroy, Jean-Pierre Ervelt, "The Intersection of Ethnomusicology and Special Education: An Exploration of ABA-Infused World Music Play Facilitation in the Social-Emotional Development of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2025). Masters Theses. 1381.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1381
Abstract
Inspired by experiences across disciplines, this mixed-method study peered into a possible intersection of ethnomusicology and special education. An innovative ABA-infused world music play facilitation program for children was created to examine how culturally diverse musical intervention in combination with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles could enhance the social-emotional development in children diagnosed with ASD. To gain an informed context on worldview and structure, this research was conducted within both sacred and secular communities. To gain a comprehensive understanding of how interdisciplinary intervention can impact the self-expression, self-regulation skills, and cultural awareness of children, both quantitative assessments and qualitative observations were used. The participant profile included children aged from five to fourteen years old. It is also made up of community volunteers and educational professionals. Due to time and resource constraints, this two-week program was conducted within a school and church in the north Indianapolis area. The data collection method included ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, and audio/video recordings. Though the findings were inconclusive for the criteria of music and ABA therapy, there were improvements in participants’ social engagement, communication skills, and emotional regulation during the ABA-infused world music play. Potential areas for future research were highlighted. Such as, lament songwriting during a ABA-infused world music play intervention, community-centered interventions that maintain evidence-based behavioral principles during an informative performance, adaptive world music pedagogy for special education classrooms, and culturally rooted music therapy interventions that target social skills and cognitive developmental skills. By bridging ethnomusicology and special education, both fields expand to produce responsive musical experiences and music play facilitation techniques for the communities that serve children with ASD, until every voice is heard!
