PELATIHAN BINA DIRI UNTUK MENGEMBANGKAN KEMANDIRIAN KOMUNIKASI PADA SISWA MENTALLY DEfECTIVE

Students with intellectual disabilities (previously referred to as mentally defective) face significant challenges in achieving independence, particularly those influenced by intellectual limitations that impact their communication abilities. This study aims to develop communication independence in students with mild intellectual disability at SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Malang. The problem is rooted in observations of two subjects who exhibited low communication independence, characterized by a lack of initiative, slow responses, and avoidance of eye contact. The intervention used in this study was self-development training specifically focusing on improving communication skills. This research employed the participant observation method. The research subjects, identified by the initials A and U, were male students aged 16 and 17 diagnosed with an intellectual disability. After undergoing 7 training sessions, both subjects showed a clear increase in communication initiative, the ability to answer questions, and the comprehension of instructions. The results of this study conclude that self-development training is an effective intervention for enhancing communication independence in students with mild intellectual disability.