Enhancing Interpersonal Communication in Couples With Special Needs Children: An Examination of Behavioral Couple Therapy Interventions

Abstract

This case report aims to report the handling of cases of ineffective communication between husband and wife in families who have children with special needs. The problem that arises in this family is the problem of ineffective communication. This problem causes disharmony within the family which has an impact on children with special needs. Participants were husband and wife who had been married for 40 years. The husband works as a casual laborer and the wife is a housewife. The methods used are interviews and observation as an assessment as well as behavioral couple therapy intervention with behavior exchange techniques and communication skills training as an effort to overcome husband–wife communication problems. The results of the intervention showed that previously ineffective communication had changed to become more effective. Changes in communication make husband and wife closer. Wives begin to serve their husbands, such as preparing food and other household needs as well as dividing the tasks of caring for children. Husbands also started to work more diligently, and wanted to eat their wives’ cooking which they previously didn’t want to do. In conclusion, behavioral couples therapy can overcome the problem of ineffective communication between husband and wife. This finding is interesting because post-covid family problems are still common and can reduce the quality of a couple’s relationship.
 Keywords: aversive communication, behavoral couple therapy, couple