The Effectiveness of the Glenn Doman Method in Improving a Student with Mild Intellectual Disability’s Reading Skills

Abstract

Low cognitive function or intellectual ability in mentally disabled children causes them to have difficulty accepting and mastering the lessons given by teachers at school. Lessons mastery is inseparable from reading skills. Therefore, in their learning, mentally disabled children need special educational services that can be adapted to their development, one of which is the Glenn Doman method with flashcard media. This study aims to describe: (1) reading skills of mild mentally disabled children at SLB C YKB Garut before and after using the Glenn Doman method; (2) the effectiveness of the Glenn Doman method in improving reading skills in children with mild mental disability at SLB C YKB Garut. This study uses a quantitative approach with a single subject design A-B-A. The participant of this study is one mentally disabled child in the school. Interviews, tests, and observations are employed as the data collecting techniques. The results show that the Glenn Doman method can improve reading skills in children with mental retardation at SLB C YKB Garut. This is indicated by an increase in each phase from baseline A-1, intervention B, to baseline A-2. In the baseline phase A-1, the scores are in the range of 44-71 with a stability percentage of 71%. In the intervention phase B, there is an increase in the range, 62-96, with a stability percentage of 84%. Meanwhile, in the baseline phase A-2, the scores are in the maximum range, 81 – 100, with a stability percentage of 100%. Based on the results the Glenn Doman method can be used in the implementation of learning in schools. The reading skills of mentally disabled children can improve if the children are continuously trained to read using the Glenn Doman method.