Storytelling Approach to Improve Verbal Communication for Children with Autism at Rumah Autis Depok, Indonesia

Abstract

Communication is an important activity for individuals in their life including children with autism. Leo Kanner in 1943 described autism as a developmental disease, suffered from birth in which reciprocal social behavior, language, and communication were impaired; and patients displayed restricted interest and repetitive behaviors. Since children with autism vary greatly in their communication, and what works for one may not work for another. When building a bridge to create effective communication, having a wide array of tools is compulsorily needed. The role of storytelling hopefully can foster the motivation of children with autism to communicate verbally because they are forced to raise their voices through storytelling. Most children with autism communicate with nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is all signs that are not words. Storytelling can be included as one of the most important methods of teaching. The method of this research used qualitative analysis – methods for examining social research data without converting them to a numerical format. The result of this research indicated educating children, especially children with autism is a process that will never recognize the word "done". It is believed that storytelling is one of media which can excite, give funs, and give moral messages. The role and process of storytelling foster autism’s motivation to be able to communicate verbally.