Religious Therapy as One of An Alternative Ways In Getting Educational Betterment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Data from Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network in multiple communities throughout the U.S. in 2006 shows an average of 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Moreover Yayasan Autisme Indonesia (YAI) stated that there is an increasing number of children with ASD in Indonesia based on the data from doctor‘s medical check up.This condition requires a big concern mainly in the topic of educational system for children with ASD. Some cases in Indonesia show that children with ASD could not get a good educational service at school whereas education is important to make them develop well. This probably happens due to lack of human resources, facilities, and others. Scientists have already find a lot of therapies like speech therapy, music therapy, secretin therapy, and etc. Those therapies have its own lacks thus need to be complemented with others.The purpose of this study examined whether Religius therapy could give an improvement behavior for children with ASD. Method of this study used ex post facto method in which the data are collected after the event happened. Researcher interviewed and observed students, teacher, parents, and other significant persons. Then researcher traced the time, found out the causes, the relation and got to know the meaning.Researcher found that there were a lot of differences before and after the children got a treatment with religious therapy. Emotionally, children are more calm and easier to be controlled. It helps teacher and parents to start the class or give other therapies.Religious therapy could be used in educational system for children with ASD. This therapy helps teacher and parents to controll the children.