Interpersonal Communication of Parents with Children with Special Needs for Tunagrahita at Slb Nur Abadi Jakarta in Forming "Self Help Skill" Character

Abstract

Mental retardation is a child who actually experiences mental retardation and development below the average of other children, so that they experience difficulties in academic tasks, communication, and social life that are carried out every day, thus requiring special services and education. Interpersonal communication between parents and children with mental retardation is needed in the process of child development where growth and development is the main process for a child with special needs. Interpersonal communication between parents and mentally retarded children in forming the character of self-help skills at SLB Nur Abadi Jagakarsa emphasizes interpersonal communication characteristics such as openness, empathy, supportive attitude, positive attitude, and equality. The obstacles that occur are mainly the physical barriers of mentally retarded children, namely the ability to catch mentally retarded children in capturing messages conveyed is very weak, the emotions of mentally retarded children cannot be controlled, and semantic barriers, namely the ability to speak mentally retarded children which is difficult for others to understand.

Keywords

• Interpersonal communication
• Mentally retarded children
• Communication to children with special needs
• Self help skills