Education Support for Independence of Students with Special Needs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the importance of education support for independence of students with special needs in their everyday lives. The research used mix method approach with conducting a Focus Group Discussion with seventeen special school teachers and observed twenty students with special needs from seventeen special schools. These teachers were asked questions about their experiences in teaching activity daily living programs for student with special needs, that is whether the aspects of activity daily living taught to each child are the same or different, whether the curriculum that has been prepared has answered student's problems or not, and what challenges the teachers face when teaching activity daily living for student with special needs. These four issues are discussed from the perspective of a special teacher who teaches students who have various needs, such as student with intellectual disabilities, student with autism, and students with others needs. Students with special needs were observed to know their independence in daily living activity before and after supported by activity daily living education program. The results of the discussion are then documented, reduced and concluded so that an educational service perspective can be obtained which is able to increase the independence of student with special needs. Data collected from observing the students also analyzed quantitatively. The results showed that independece of students with special needs improved after teacher implemented daily living program. Furthermore, although every student with special needs has different ways in increasing their independence, there are aspects of independence that are the same in every student that can be improved so that it is useful in their future lives.