• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2004

Mentally disable children feel as failure because they have difficulty in restricted and undifferentiated communications with others. It also makes the counter-partner feel frustrated. Therefore, in the aspects of language acquirement and communication activities, it is essential to let the disable children learn and communicate voluntarily. Music provides the unthreatening and interesting stimulus as non-language communication vehicle. Musical experiences for mentally disable children's are multi-stimulating experiences that make a positive influence in speech and language development and development of variety of talents. There are many communication intervention and method to treat the mentally disable children. One of the most effective treatments for mentally disable children to acquire communication techniques by expressing the language more naturally and joyfully is the musical therapy. This study analyzes children's communication technique referring to response action and attempt action through video tape observation. Also, this study measured the receptive and expressive language by PRES(Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale) as a test tool in order to examine the pre-post language ability for respective children as pre-post period of therapy activity. First result of this study showed that music therapy with song was effective for mentally disable children in enhancing the communication techniques centered with communication response and in attempt action by increasing the communication action incidence. Secondly, pre-post comparison test with PRES showed that the music therapy with song was effective on improvement the receptive and expressive language ability of 4 children.