teacher’s problem in developing speaking skill for
TRANSCRIPT
TEACHER’S PROBLEM IN DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILL FOR CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME USING APPLIED
BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IN POTAIS SALATIGA
THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
Gunawan Saputro
112005048
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
2013
i
TEACHER’S PROBLEM IN DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILL FOR CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME USING APPLIED
BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IN POTAIS SALATIGA
THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
Gunawan Saputro
112005048
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
2013
ii
iii
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright@ 2013. Gunawan Saputro & Anne Indrayanti Timotius, M.Ed.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature, Satya Wacana, Christian University, Salatiga
Gunawan Saputro: ( )
1
TEACHER’S PROBLEM IN DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILL FOR CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME USING APPLIED
BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IN POTAIS SALATIGA
Gunawan Saputro 112005048
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to find out the teacher’s strategies and problems to help
the speech development to children with Down syndrome using Applied Behavior Analysis method. In this qualitative study, two research questions were raised: (1) What do the teachers do to help the speech development of children with Down syndrome using Applied Behavior Analysis method? (2) What difficulties or problems do teachers face in improving the speech production of Down syndrome children using the approach? Three teachers from POTAIS (Perhimpunan Orang Tua Anak Istimewa Salatiga) participated in this study. Two instruments were used to compile the data: observation and interview. The analysis of the data showed that there were nine ways that teachers did to develop speaking skill on children with Down syndrome using ABA. They were imitation, repeating, learning through game, learning through song/music, cognitive skill, looking at the object, reward, eye contact, and massage. The difficulties that the teachers faced were the different children’s condition in every meeting that influences the children’s concentration, the difficulty in making children with Down syndrome to produce their speech, and the limited AVA to support teaching learning process.
Key words: Applied Behavior Analysis, Down syndrome, speaking skill, teaching, and
vocabulary.
INTRODUCTION
In a social life, people absolutely need to communicate with others. Based on that
reason, communication skills are important and contribute to inclusion and integration.
Communication in human life includes not only speech, but also facial expressions,
smiles, gestures, pointing, high five signs, and alternative systems such as sign language
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and computer-based systems (Kumin, 2003). Children and adults are more likely to
interact when they can understand and be understood. At home, in school, and in the
community, a functional understandable communication system facilitates relationships.
So, speaking as a part of communication in human life has important role in
communication.
As an important part in communication, speaking skill is not used by normal
people to have interaction with others, but people with disability also need it. Sometimes
we forgot that there were some people around us who have special need. They may have
disability learning or genetic disorder.
Nowadays there are many children who are affected with Down syndrome and it
is the most common genetic disorder. According to Payne, Patton, Kauffman, Brown
(1983), Down syndrome is a kind of mental retardation which refers to the general
intellectual functioning with deficits in adaptive behavior. Payne, et al. (1983) also
explained that adaptive behavior here refers to one’s ability to cope with demands of
daily life and is applied as sensory-motor, communication, self-help, socialization,
academic, and vocational skill. Besides that, National Dissemination Center for Children
with Disabilities in http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/downsyndrome, explained that
down syndrome is the most common and readily identifiable chromosomal condition
related with human intellectual disabilities which is caused by a chromosomal
abnormality: for some unknown reason, an accident which happened in cell development
results in 47 instead of the usual 46 chromosomes. The extra chromosome changes the
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general development of the body and brain. Sietske (2011) describes that the
chromosomal condition is the leading cause of cognitive impairment. Down syndrome is
associated with mild to moderate learning disabilities, developmental delays,
characteristic facial features, and low muscle tone in early infancy.
Mayo clinic staff retrieved on April 7, 2011 states that Down syndrome results
when one of three types of abnormal cell division involving chromosome 21 occurs. All
three cell division abnormalities result in extra genetic material from chromosome 21.
Chromosome 21 is responsible for the characteristic features and developmental
problems of Down syndrome.
The three genetic variations that can cause Down syndrome include Trisomy 21,
Mosaic Down syndrome, and translocation Down syndrome. The first form of Down
syndrome is Trisomy 21 caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the
sperm cell or the egg cell. It makes more copies of chromosomes 21 to be three copies
instead of the usual two copies in all of his or her cells. The next is Mosaic Down
syndrome. In this form children have some cells with an extra copy of chromosome 21.
This mosaic of normal and abnormal cells is caused by abnormal cell division after
fertilization. The last, Translocation Down syndrome that makes possible the children
who affected with it have the usual two copies of chromosome 21, but they also have
additional material from chromosome 21 attached to the trans-located chromosome. This
form of Down syndrome is seldom to see.
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We can analyze or predict that a child is affected by Down syndrome or not from
the special or different facial appearance, but not all of the children with Down syndrome
have similar feature. Children with Down syndrome have characteristics like flattened
facial features, protruding tongue, small head, and upward slanting eyes, unusual for the
child's ethnic group
Facial characteristic of children with Down syndrome:
Figure 1: A two-year-old child with Down syndrome. (From: http:
www.rcsismj.com/vol-5/chediak-higashi-trisomy-21)
Besides that, according to Mayo clinic staff, infants born with Down syndrome
may be of average size, but typically they grow slowly and remain shorter than other
children of similar age. Children with Down syndrome also have some degree of mental
retardation, most often in the moderate range. Papajohn (1982) described that “they are
related to as an individual with difficulties caused primarily by faulty learning or
maladaptive experiences from the past and are maintained in the present by specific
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definable conditions”. (p.9). Children who affected by Down syndrome have delay or
difficulty on speech production and learning, but they are believed have an ability to
learn language and will have language development like the normal children. So, they
also have a change to learn how to speak, read, and write with appropriate rule or way
and environment. Based on the fact and theory, some researchers suggested some
treatments for Down syndrome recovery. Recently, some studies try to connect the Down
syndrome recovery and cognitive development, especially language learning and
language development for children with autism or Down syndrome. Actually learning
was the result of environment rather than genetic factors (Skinner, 1971 in William &
Burden, 1997). Based on the some statements and findings above I believe that children
with mental disorder like down syndrome can have development on their cognitive and
skill of learning.
Kumin (2003) stated that “the important pre-speech and pre-language skills are
the ability to imitate and echo sounds; turn-taking skills (learned through games); visual
skills (looking at the speaker and looking at objects); auditory skills (listening to music
and speech for lengthening periods of time, listening to speech sounds); tactile skills
(learning about touch, exploring objects in the mouth); oral motor skills (using the
tongue, moving lips); and cognitive skills (understanding object permanence, cause and
effect relationships)”. The theory is related with a therapy method named Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA) which is used as treatment for developing speaking skill on
children with Down syndrome.
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I think we are not familiar with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) before, but we
need to know what ABA is. ABA is a kind of behavioral approach which is believed as
an alternative to the medical model for autism (Kozloff, 1973). "Applied" means practice,
not just theory or observation. The term of Applied Behavior Analysis is consisting of
"Behavior analysis" that is one of the learning theories that understanding what leads to
get new skills (Jennifer.1985). The word "behavior" means the activity and responds
which the children do when talking about learning to talk, play, and live as a complex
social animal, but to a behaviorist all these can be taught, so long as there are intact brain
functions to learn and practice the skills. Another statement from Wolpe (1982) said that
“behavior analysis is the process of gathering and sifting information to be used in the
conduct of behavior therapy.” (p.57).
The processes and roles are different with teaching communication skill to normal
children. Cooper (2001) said that “by using direct and daily measurement of student
academic and behaviors, teachers may be in a position to defend themselves against
educational fads and other pressures for unproven educational change.” Teacher of Down
syndrome child have an extra role as a therapist. According to PapaJohn (1982), the
therapist or teacher should be empathetic and supportive, especially if he or she does the
treatment by applying ABA method. In most method which is related with behavior
approach, activities therapy is needed as a type of treatment. Teacher must be ready and
master on it because it is about the use of work-oriented, recreational, and creative-
expressive activities for enhancing psychosocial functioning in order to help the language
development of the children (Mosey, 1973). Besides that, Wolpe (1982) also stated “The
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therapist’s central focus is on the distress and disablement that have brought the patient to
seek treatment.” ( p.57 ).
Another thing that we need to know, in ABA there is functional relationship
between human behavior and the environment (Hernandez and Ikkanda, 2012). In the
other words, ABA is a teaching technique which leads children or learners to get new
skill that explores learner’s activities and responds when learning to talk and doing
interaction in social life. So, the keys of the technique are the role of teacher or care
giver, student’s respond, learning media, and practice.
Figure 2: Factors that influencing Applied Behavior Analysis Method
To support the statement of Hernandez and Ikkanda (2012), Weiss&Harris (2001)
found the term adult-mediated strategies which focused on adults as mediators and as
reinforcement agents of appropriate behavior. In this journal I will focus on teacher-
therapist and parents which doing their role using ABA with right principles as mediator
and reinforcement agent.
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Team from Ontario Ministry of Education (2007) found four principles of ABA.
First, the program must be individualized. The program should be shaped by paying
attention to student’s specific profile, patterns of strength, and needs to decide learning
objective and teaching methods. Although the program must be individualized, the
various support is still needed and can be provided in either individually or group
situations. Second, positive reinforcement techniques are needed to attract and motivate
students to learn. Then, data must be collected and analyzed because it is very important
to measure student’s progress on behaviors and skills. Besides that, it can help teacher-
therapist to identify skills or behavior that need to be taught. The last, In ABA program
transfer skills should be emphasized in purpose to apply newly acquired positive behavior
in a wide variety of environments and in various contexts. Each student should be taught
to transfer skills acquired in one context to different context.
Correlation about speaking skill as main tool in communication with Down
syndrome has been a phenomena now. As an absolute condition in communication,
speaking skill is very important in children cognitive development. So, teacher-therapist
or care giver should develop it as primary part for communication. Many strategies and
approaches are used to improve children’s speaking skill, including speech development
using ABA.
Moreover, Hernandez and Ikkanda (2012) stated that development of social,
linguistic, academic, recreational, and self-care behaviors often are the focus of ABA
procedures. Besides that, according to the meaning of ABA above, it is one of the
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techniques used to develop speaking skill. In the process of learning, ABA must contain
activities or practices which need a respond from the learners that can incite their speech
development. From that theory, we can see that ABA procedure can be focused to help or
support linguistic skill including speech development.
Developing skill for children with mental retardation is not easy. It can be a hard
challenge for teacher/therapist and parents. This study will discuss and dig deeper about
the problems that teacher or parent find in doing treatment for children with Down
syndrome using ABA method.
After analyzing the process and problems in ABA for treatment and development
language skill on children with Down syndrome, I hope we can find some solutions to
solve the problems and it can help to support therapist or teachers and parents to evaluate
their way and improve their service in developing their children’s language skill.
Based on the aim, this study attempted to answer two research questions. First,
what do the teachers do to help the speech development of children with Down syndrome
using Applied Behavior Analysis method? And secondly, what difficulties or problems
do teachers face in improving the speech production for Down syndrome children using
the approach?
Friman (2006) had a research on ABA based treatments, and the results are ABA
has been successful at reducing extreme self-injurious behavior and improving severe
deficits in self-care and communication skills in that population includes language skills.
In another research about ABA, Ruef, Higgind, Glaeser,Patnode.(1998) also found that
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taking advantage of positive reinforcement, determining the right reward, reducing
rewards over time, keeping rewards interesting and making children feel confident
become the strategies that should be applied by teacher-therapist to increase positive
behavior on the children. Besides that, according the finding of Papajohn (1982),
interacting system can be an important part in behavior treatment like ABA. So, based on
the some literatures above, the treatment on healing children with delay on language skill
needs the active roles from teacher-therapists who have interaction with children to
increase children’s positive behavior, especially in improving their speaking skill.
THE STUDY
The context of the study is a research in institution named POTAIS (Perkumpulan
Orang Tua Anak Istimewa) Salatiga. This institution was established by some parents that
have children with kinds of mental retardation or disabilities including Down syndrome.
Helping children with special needs to learn and motivate them to have positive behavior
in social life are the aims of the institution which have activities center in the location in
Merdeka Utara Street Salatiga. To help and support treatments and make a comfortable
teaching-learning condition the building is equipped by some classrooms and tools which
used as therapy means. Here, the children learn about understanding (eq: eye contact, one
way instruction, imitation to things, action response to things, function of action to
things, arranging beam with gradation, understanding the meaning of simple sentence,
answer the question, identical and non identical matching, identification, etc), behavior
development (eq: concentration, obedience, adaptation, scanning, expression and
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emotion, etc), language and communication development (including breath, oral motorist,
pronunciation, non verbal communication, verbal communication) and academic
development (including coloring, drawing, and etc). The program was designed to
support each other, so it makes possible if one activity includes two or more development
programs. Besides that, the children were taught with private way, so the process of
teaching and learning could be more comfortable and the children have more
concentration in learning.
This institution was chosen for this study because there is some competent
teacher-therapist who handles some children with Down syndrome and the teachers apply
ABA program to their children.
THE PARTICIPANTS
To support my research, I choose three teacher-therapists in POTAIS who have
experience to handle children with mental disorder. All of teacher-therapists here
graduated from “Politeknik Kesehatan Surakarta”. When doing their job, they handle
each child in turn based on the available schedule and they are rolling the schedule once
in three months. I think they are reliable to be participants for this study because they
have direct interaction with children using ABA and know more about ABA, the
implementation, advantages/disadvantages, and difficulties.
The data was collected in two ways that were interview and observation. I found
some data by interviewing the teacher-therapists who handle children with Down
syndrome using ABA method to answer second research question.
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The interview described about the difficulties which the teacher found, the
problem which the teacher and student face in applying ABA method in teaching learning
process, and the teacher’s attitude to handle the problems. This study used qualitative
method. The qualitative method is analyzed by using the technique of transcribing and
categorizing. Besides that, I tried to observe how the teachers conduct the teaching
learning process especially the application of ABA in developing speaking skill which
answered the first research question. The observation focused on how the teacher bring
the material in class, the activity which is given to the student, and the participation of
teacher to solve the student’s problem in learning process like how to increase the
student’s motivation.
I started my data by collecting the data by coming to POTAIS, meeting the staff
to get the permission for doing interview and observation. Then, I arranged the schedule
for having interview and observation. To get the consistency of the way which the
teacher and student applied in teaching learning process using ABA method, I needed at
least nine sessions to observe. I made transcription and took note to compose the
information and which I got from the observations and interviews. After finishing the
observation and interview, all the data was compiled and ready to be analyzed.
FINDING
Through nine observations in POTAIS, I could see the teaching learning process
in POTAIS. While doing observation, I focused on the way teachers improved children’s
speech using ABA method. From that, I found nine ways that were usually applied by
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teachers in POTAIS in teaching. They were imitation, repeating, learning through game,
learning through song/music, cognitive skill, looking at the object, reward, eye contact,
and massage. Besides that, I also got some important information about the teacher’s
difficulty or problems in teaching using ABA by interviewing the teachers in POTAIS.
From statements of the teachers in the interview and some cases which I saw during my
observation, I could see that there are three aspects that make problems to the teachers,
like children’s condition, speaking skill development, and AVA
A. The Ways in Speech Development using ABA
Imitation, repeating, learning through game, learning through song/music, cognitive skill,
looking at the object, reward, eye contact, massage
A.1. Imitation
Teachers in POTAIS chose imitation as one of ways to be applied in teaching.
Ms. Hesty, one of teachers in POTAIS, said that “ABA is known as imitate concept”, so
most material in ABA usually delivered through imitating. The way was aimed to make
children remember easily about vocabularies. However, we need to know that it is not
easy to ask children with Down syndrome to say something, when teachers ask ‘selamat
siang’, they keep silent. If teacher asked children to pray, they only kept silent. To excite
children to say something or speak, teachers usually ask children to imitate what the
teachers say. It is not easy to make children imitate or give response to the teacher. The
teachers should be repeating the words or sentences again and again until the children
show a response.
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For example:
Teacher: “Ayo suaranya lebih keras! (hold child’s face and doing eye’s contact to the child) kupu.”
Child: “Kupu (with a little bit more clear voice)”
Teacher: “Kupu.”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Adi”
Teacher: “Kupu”
Child: “Kupu (with a little bit more clear voice)”
In the example, the teacher asks the child to imitate her to say word ‘butterfly’.
A.2 Repeating
Some cases which I found in POTAIS, all children with Down syndrome here
have very limited pronunciation. Actually they understood about the instruction and how
to answer but they were not able to express the answer into verbal communication.
Teachers should repeat the question and answer two or more times to help or excite
children’s pronunciation. Teachers could include speaking skill development in identical
or non identical matching, identification, reading, writing, calculation, etc. When teachers
asked children to match pictures, she asked ‘What is it?’ in order to make children to
produce their pronunciation, asked children to read number are also used to the same
purpose. Sometime children could answer with complete pronunciation but mostly with
the last one syllable like when they answered ‘yellow’ they only said low or sometimes
teacher should say ‘ye…….’ And the children continued with ‘low’. Other examples
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from my observation:
Teacher: “Ini gambar apa Di (shows a picture of butterfly)”
Child: “(silent and look at the picture)”
Teacher: “Gambar apa Di?”
Child: “(silent and look at the picture)”
Shadow teacher: “Di gambar apa Di?”
Child: “(bows his head and keep silent)”
Teacher: “Apa Di? Ku…..”
Child: “(bows his head and keep silent)”
Teacher: “Adi lihat Bu Nadya!”
Child: “(still bows his head)”
Shadow teacher: “Adi lihat bu Nadya (hold the child’s head and direct him to look at the teacher’s face)
Child: “(lift up his head and look at the teacher’s face but keep silent)”
Teacher: “Gambar apa Di? Ku…. (doing eye’s contact)”
Child: “(diam)”
Teacher: “Ku… kupu”
Shadow teacher: “Apa Di? Ku….”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Adi… Apa Di? Ku…”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Kupu”
Teacher: “Ku…. (doing eye’s contact)”
Child: “Pu (with soft voice)”
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In the example above when teacher asked the child to guess what the picture is, the child
was silent, so she should repeat the question again and again until the children are able to
speak. If the child still keeps silent, the teacher helps him with first syllable and the child
continues with the next syllables.
A.3 Learning Through Game
Turn taking skills that means learning trough game is suggested to do because in
activity therapy the children’s emotion condition and concentration is not consistent or
not always good all the time, some time they in bad mood condition, learning trough
game is a good way to make children to be excited about the material. Teachers in
POTAIS usually give games which are suitable with children’s interest, like playing
puzzle, playing in ball pool, football, jumping on trampoline, etc. When playing, teachers
usually bring in material by asking children about something like ‘are you tired?’, ‘Do
you want playing football?’, and ‘Are you finish?’ The questions should be asked until
the children answer it or ask the children to imitate what the teachers say or do.
A.4 Learning With Song/Music
In developing children’s auditory skill, teachers usually play some children’s song
using tape recorder. Sometime they ask children to follow the song. This activity usually
use while children have massage service, in the end of meeting, or as ice breaker in the
middle of meeting. Besides that, teacher could sing a song with gestures, it can attract
children to pay attention to the teacher and some time they gave respond, like trying to
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imitate some words of the song, imitate teacher’s gesture, bubbling, or just look at the
teacher with no action. So, by using music or song in teaching is not only to avoid the
boringness but also to develop children’s auditory skill.
Teacher: “Pandai sekali Dini (strokes the child’s head) sekarang nyanyi ya? Topi saya bundar bundar topi saya kalau tidak bundar bukan topi saya (sings with gesture). Ayo Dini nyanyi! Topi saya bundar bundar topi saya kalau tidak bundar bukan topi saya (with slow tempo)
Child: “(bubbling)”
The teacher could sing a song like the example above, she could modify the song with
some gestures to get attention from the child. When the child was interested and gave her
attention, the teacher could ask her to sing together although the child only bubbling.
A.5 Cognitive Skill
When student got mistake in their practice, teacher would say ‘No’ and if the
child has good cognitive skill, he/she would know that he/she should erase the answer
and change it with another answer. I often found in my observation like the example:
Teacher: Cari warna yang sama!
Shadow teacher: Cari warna yang sama!
Child: “(look at the pencils)”
Shadow teacher: Ambil!
Child: “(takes the red pencil)”
The example above is about the way of teacher to improve children’s cognitive
skill; teacher and shadow teacher gave an instruction to the child to find the same color
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with the teacher’s. In the example, when the shadow teacher gave comment to take the
same color, the child did what the teacher and shadow teacher want. It means that the
child’s cognitive skill was working.
A.6 Looking At the Object
This development program is related with learning through game, but for this
session the understanding about object become a focus. The goal of this development was
the children’s understanding about the shape, color, amount, etc. Some activities were
available to support the development program like matching picture which children look
at a picture then they should find another picture with the same shape, next example is
ask children to find other pictures with the same color, another example teacher could
asks children to find pictures or things with the same amount. It was a good program to
excite children understanding about identical or non identical object.
Example:
Teacher: “(changes the card’s position) Tunjuk merah!”
Child: “(point at the red card)”
Teacher: “(changes the card’s position) Tunjuk merah!”
Child: “(point at the red card)”
The example above instructed children to match different things with same color.
The teacher asked the child to point at red card and the child did the instruction. To do
the activity, children should look at the object first, understand the color of the object,
looking for another object with same color then they connect it with a connector line.
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A.7 Reward
The another thing that be applied in POTAIS to support improving speaking skill
using ABA was doing positive reinforcement to children which implied in Ruef et al.
(1998) like giving reward when they could answer the teacher’s question, doing
instruction, or doing the practice correctly. Through giving the reward, children would
feel happy, enthusiastic, and it pushed them to repeat the same good behavior. The
rewards given are snack, cookie, or give several times for children to play game which
they like. Besides that, the most reward given to the student was praise, like “good, smart,
great, etc.”
Example:
Teacher: “(changes the card’s position) Tunjuk merah!”
Child: “(point at the red card)”
Teacher: “(changes the card’s position) Tunjuk merah!”
Guru: “Pintar. Tunjuk merah!”
In the example above, teacher asked the child to point at the red card and the child
did what the teacher said. After that the teacher gave praise by saying “smart”. When
children did the good job or follow the instruction, teacher should give appraise to
increase the children motivation and confidence, they know that if they did the action,
they got appraise so they can do the same positive behavior.
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A.8 Eye contact
Eye contact was another important aspect in doing activities therapy on children
with Down syndrome which is one example of visual skill. By doing good and enough
eyes’ contact, teachers could get children’s attention and increase their confidence so
they have enough bravery to speak or answer the question.
Example:
Shadow teacher: “Adi tos (doing eye contact)”
Child: “(raise up his hand)”
Shadow teacher: “Pukul!”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Adi yang pukul, Adi pukul! (doing eye contact closer)”
Child: “(hit the shadow teacher’s hand slowly)”
Shadow teacher: “Tos”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “bilang, tos (still doing eye contact)”
Child: “(silent and bows his head)”
Shadow teacher: “Adi lihat Bu Hesti! Adi (lift up the child’s head)”
Child: “(lift up his head)”
Shadow teacher: “Tos bilang tos (look at the child’s eyes)”
Child: “(keep silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Tos”
Child: “Tos (with slow voice)”
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From the example the teacher did eye’s contact to the child in purpose to make the child
rise up his hands and hit the teacher’s hands. The eye’s contact is used to get student’s
attention and make the children to be brave or more confident to do the instruction.
A.9 Massage
Teaching children with speaking problem like Down syndrome always interesting
because teachers that have role as therapist should give an extra service which is oral
massage. In POTAIS this medical model is performed before the class or some time in
the middle of teaching learning process. All of teacher in POTAIS had ability in doing
the massage; they usually use lotion and vibrator. The first way was by rubbing the lotion
and massaging around children’s mouth, in purpose to refine the oral nerve in order to
simplify children to use their oral especially for speak. Then, to complete and excite the
work of oral nerve, teachers used vibrator with some variant which is suitable with
children’s condition. When children felt suffer paint, teachers could identify by looking at
children facial’s expression so he/she should change the vibrator with the smoother one.
The last activity that also important in the massage was teachers take an ice cream stick
between the children’s lips and asks children to clip it. This action was used to check the
movement or the use of lips or oral to give respond to the thing in the mouth. Besides
that, it also had purpose in order to make children close their mouth, because most of
children with down syndrome had negative behavior which is always open their mouth
while they do anything so it should be repaired.
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In the execution, the development programs have relation each other. So, one
activity could contain two or more development program. It also suitable with the
Kumin’s theory (2003) that discuss about ability to imitate and echo sound; turn taking
skills which is learning through games; visual skills (looking at the object) ; auditory
skills (learning through song/music); oral motor skills (massage); and cognitive skills. All
of activities and development programs in POTAIS that I explain above with some
examples have relation and contain the aspects of Kumin’s theory to improve children’s
positive behavior especially on improving children’s speaking skill. Besides that, eye’s
contact and reward also have important role in teaching learning process on children with
Down syndrome. Theory of Rue et al. (1998) about the taking advantage of positive
reinforcement, determining the right reward, reducing rewards over time, keep rewards
interesting and make children feel confident as the strategies that should be applied by
teacher-therapist to increase positive behavior on children exactly applied in teaching
learning process by doing enough eye’s contact and giving praises when children doing
positive behavior.
B. The Difficulties for Teachers
Children’s condition, developing speaking skill, AVA
B.1 Children’s condition
Teaching children with Down syndrome needs the extra patience because they are
not always on good condition. It is related with children’s concentration or focus on
learning and they seem uncooperative so it influences the decline of positive behavior.
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Teachers should be sensitive about this. From the information which I got from teachers
in POTAIS I found some important causes that make children to be uncooperative in
class.
B.1.1 Children’s emotion
Teaching speaking skill using ABA to Down syndrome children exactly depends
on their concentration level. According to Ms. Tri Yuliani, a teacher in POTAIS, children
with Down syndrome was known have lower concentration than normal children, it
would be very difficult to have interaction with them when they are on bad mood, sleepy,
sickness, or angry. So, teachers should have an adaptation to the children’s condition and
does not force to deliver the prepared material. Teachers could see the condition of their
children, they are able to learn the prepared material or not. If no, the teachers usually
delay the prepared material and move to other activities which probably can rise up
children’s concentration. The activity usually adapts to the children’s interest like
scratching, hit toy bars, arranging puzzle, etc.
B.1.2 The difference of behavior’s learning style
Another thing that made the decline of children’s positive behavior is the
difference style of learning. Based on the information from Ms. Hesty, the problem came
mostly after holiday; the teachers felt that there is something different with their children.
After I dig the information deeper about that, apparently the cause was the difference
style of learning process in POTAIS and at their home. She as a teacher there also
recognized that one of the disadvantages of ABA is making children like a “robot”. She
added that ABA is a imitate concept which ask the children to imitate the behavior of
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their teachers like when they begin or finish the class, teachers ask them to have positive
behavior in greeting. For example teacher asks children to say “good afternoon mom”,
children usually imitate the same words, sentence, and accent with the teacher said.
Teacher: “Sudah, berdoa! Berdoa gimana? (asks children to pray) Alhamdulilah irohman irohim, ya Allah Adi sudah belajar sekarang mau pulang lindungi sampai dirumah amin. Selamat siang Adi”
Child: “(silent)”
Teacher: “Selamat si”
Child: “(silent)”
Teacher: “Si…”
Child: “Ang (with unclear voice)”
Teacher: “Terima….”
Child: “(silent)”
Teacher: “terima ka…”
Child: “Si”
Teacher: “Bu…. Bu siapa?”
Child: “(silent)”
Teacher: “Bu…”
Child: “Bu (with slow voice)”
Teacher: “Bu Tri”
Child: “Bu Tri (with unclear voice)”
From the example above it is clear that the teacher wanted the child to do the
same thing like the teacher did through imitating the behavior. The teacher unconsciously
made children to imitate the teacher behavior trough asked the child to greet the teacher
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using the similar form of greeting with the teacher. May be we think that it is an error
way and have bad effect to the children because they will be always depend on teacher’s
behavior as standard in their habit, but teachers in POTAIS have a reason about why they
do the way. They should do the way because children with Down syndrome usually keep
silent when they are asked by other people including teacher. By asking them to imitate
to the teacher, children’s memories will increase, they also are excited to produce their
speech, so it makes easier to the teacher in developing children speaking skill especially
on improving children’s pronunciation. But this way also had a weakness. Children was
used to imitate the behavior of their teacher, they are familiar with the instruction of their
teacher. We need to know that the teacher’s way to give instruction to the children is
different with parents or others. Children usually obey instructions with intonation,
strictness, and pronunciation which are same with what they have learnt in the class. So,
when they are at home and their parents or others give an instruction with different style
of accent, strictness, and pronunciation, they would not understand. However, the
communication between teachers and parents should be increased. Through this way,
teachers can give explanation to parents about how to teach or speak which their children.
Besides that, parents could continue the material which the teachers delivered in class to
be applied at home. On the contrary, teachers could get feedbacks from parents about the
children development at home, so teachers could know what way that they should apply
to deliver the material and kinds of material to the children.
26
Another effect was when teachers were substituted every three months. Children
would feel they learn with foreign teacher with different style of instruction,
pronunciation, and the way in teaching. So, different intonation, strictness, and
pronunciation of each teacher would get different respond from children and it is needed
several times for children and teacher to have adaptation with the learning situations. A
solution was applied by the teachers, it is to place the previous teacher as shadow teacher
which company and help the main teacher in teaching learning process. Through this
way, a shadow teacher has an important role in making children understand about what
the main teacher said and be able to do the instructions.
B.2. Developing speaking skill
Most children with Down syndrome were unconfident to produce their speech. It
made teachers got a difficulty to develop their speaking skill. When teacher asked about
something, they keep silent only, so the teacher should repeat the questions or
instructions again and again until the children produce their sound. Some teachers
recognized that sometimes they felt bored to repeat questions or instructions again and
again. Besides that, based on Ms. Hesty experiences in teaching using ABA, she
recognized that developing children’s speaking skill especially on arranging words to be
a sentence is not easy. The children have difficulty on arranging words to be a sentence.
They usually answer the question with the last syllable of the word. The job of the
teacher is thinking about how to explore the way to make the children can have active
interaction with teachers or other people in a conversation.
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Example:
Teacher: “Iya. (continues the correction) lho habis lima? Habis lima berapa Di? (point at the example in the book) enam. E…… e apa ?”
Child: “(silent)”
Shadow teacher: “Enam”
Child: “(silent)”
Teacher: “E….”
Child: “Nam (with slow voice)”
From the example, we can see that when the teacher asked the child to say
something, the child only keep silent. Teacher asked the child to say ‘six’ but he only
kept silent and in the end he only mentioned the last syllable of the word. It means that
children with Down syndrome have a difficulty to pronounce words, they also mention
the last syllable but some time when they were in a good condition they would mention
complete word. Unfortunately teachers still have difficulty to teach them about how to
arrange words to be a simple sentence. It reminds me to the statement of the teachers in
POTAIS that ABA is effective to improve children vocabularies but it is not effective to
manage children’s understanding about sentence. The temporary way to handle this
problem is the teachers gives them examples and repeat it again and again until children
imitate to the teacher’s example.
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B.3 AVA
AVA is one of the important aspects which needed to support the process
development speaking skill to children with Down syndrome. By using the AVA,
children would be motivated to give respond to the material and make them memorize
easier about that. So far, teachers in POTAIS using some AVA’s like pictures, cards,
toys, etc. But according to the teachers it was not maximal to get the goal. Ms. Hesty said
that “children with Down syndrome need specific shape or need to know how to use an
object not only through the picture but it should be more real like miniatures which the
shape is same with the original one”. Besides that, when children learn about “animal” in
purpose to develop speaking skill; it is not enough to the student if they look at the simple
pictures or cards only about the topic, children would have more motivation when they
look at the object quickly and they would save it in their memorize. Unfortunately the
item of AVA in POTAIS is limited, so teachers should be more creative to make the
needed AVA by themselves.
According to Mosey (1973) work-oriented, recreational, and creative-expressive
activities are three aspects which should be mastered by a teacher, especially for
enhancing psychosocial functioning in order to help the language development of their
children. I saw that teachers in POTAIS have applied the theory in their teaching but in
the execution it is not as easy as we imagined before, there some problems that influence
the effectiveness of speaking development for children with down syndrome like the
29
adaptation with children’s condition, speaking skill’s development to produce word and
arrange sentences, and the last factor is the limited AVA.
CONCLUSION
Teaching is not as simple as transfer knowledge to the students only, especially in
teaching children with retardation such as Down syndrome. Teachers should give their
students the right programs which are suitable with what they need. This study discussed
the ways which is used in teaching learning process to improve speaking skill on children
with Down syndrome. There were some aspects or ways which teachers in POTAIS did
in teaching using ABA based on Kumin’s (2003) theory. The ways were imitation,
repeating, learning through game which the example activity of turn taking skill, learning
through song/music which increase visual skill development, cognitive skill, looking at
the object, reward, eye contact, and massage.
Teachers played the main role in Adult-mediated strategies which was introduced
by Weiss&Harris (2001). Something that came in my mind, as the mediators and
reinforcement agents which have mission to increase children’s or student’s positive
behavior they exactly found some difficulties in teaching. This research answered my
second research question about teacher’s difficulties in developing speaking skill to
children with Down syndrome using ABA. I found that there were some aspects that
became difficulties to the teachers in doing their program. First, the difference of
children’s condition in every meeting that influences the children’s concentration,
30
second, the difficulty in making children with Down syndrome to produce their speech,
and the last, available AVA is limited to support teaching learning process.
According to my observations and interviews, I conclude that teaching speaking
skill on children with Down syndrome using ABA was effective on the development of
vocabulary but not to arrange words to be a sentence. Besides that, it created some
difficulties which made teachers to have creative way to find the solution to handle the
problems. From this study, I got important information about what the teachers do and
their difficulties in developing the speech production of Down syndrome children using
ABA. This study can be used by teachers in POTAIS to evaluate and improve their
teaching way, moreover to reduce teacher’s difficulties. Further research is exactly
needed to create or modify the ways or program of teaching using ABA to be more
effective especially to improve children’s skill to arrange sentence and verbal
communication. Besides that, to create more conducive and effective teaching, the
teacher’s difficulties in teaching should be reduced with the other right solutions which
can be analyzed in the further research.
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study would not have been completed without the help and support from
many people. I would like to express my gratitude and great thankfulness to the following
people who have assisted me in completing this study, they are:
Jesus Christ for His grace which led me to finish my study.
My supervisor Ms. Anne Indrayanti Timotius, M.Ed and my second reader
Ms. Christiana Sidupa, M.Hum for their guidance and feedback.
Teachers of POTAIS (Ms. Hesty, Ms. Tri, and Ms. Nadya), a boy who I
observed Adi and his mother for the willingness to help me had some
interviews and observations.
My lovely family (my dad, mom, Lia, Damaris, and Kiki) for the supports.
My close friends (Rizky, Anjar, Endar, Nina, Nuel, Cinintya, Maya, Rony,
Aji, and Mr. Wahyu) that helped and supported me with their time,
knowledge, and motivations. Thanks for our togetherness.
Others that participated to the completion of this study.
Gunawan Saputro
2
REFERENCES
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Hernandez, P. & Ikkanda, Z. (2012). Applied behavior analysis: Behavior management of children with autism spectrum disorders in dental environments. Retrieved on May 14, 2012 http://jada.ada.org/content/142/3/281.full
John, O.C. (2001). Applied Behavior Analysis in education. Retrieved on July 14, 2012 from http://abdullahdemir.biz/pdf/Applied-Behavior-Analysis-in-Education.pdf
Kozloff, M.A. (1973). Reaching the autistic child. Research Press
Kumin, L. (2003). Early communication skills for children with Down syndrome: Guide for parents and teachers. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House. Retrieved on March 2, 2012 from http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=138%3Aspeech-a-language-therapy&catid=51%3Atherapies-a-development&Itemid=142&limitstart=1
Mayo Clinic. (April 7,2011). Down syndrome. Retrieved on May 24,2011 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/down-syndrome/ds00182/dsection=causes
Mosey, A.C. (1973). Activities therapy. New York: Raven Press Publishers
Ontario Ministry of Education. (May 17, 2007). Incorporating methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) into programs for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Retrieved on June 11,2012 from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/140.pdf
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APPENDIX
SAMPLE INTERVIEW
Respondent 1: Ibu Tri Yuliani
Interviewer: Maaf bu, boleh tahu nama lengkap ibu?
Respondent: Nama saya Tri Yuliani
Interviewer: Pendidikan terakhirnya apa bu?
Respondent: Politeknik kesehatan Surakarta
Interviewer: Sudah berapa lama bu Tri mengajar di POTAIS?
Respondent: Kira-kira 8 tahun mas
Interviewer: Cukup lama juga ya? Lalu apa yang membuat bu Tri tertarik untuk mengajar disini sampai sekian lama?
Respondent: Yang jelas saya senang pada anak-anak dan kebetulan waktu itu ada tawaran untuk mengajar disini
Interviewer: Berapa anak yang ibu tangani saat ini?
Respondent: Kita sistemnya rolling mas, jadi bergantian setiap 3 bulan sekali tapi kadang juga menyesuaikan kondisi
Interviewer: Maksudnya menyesuaikan kondisi?
Respondent: Disini kan termasuk lembaga non formal dan anak-anaknya memiliki perilaku tidak seperti anak-anak pada umumnya, jadi mereka sering tidak masuk atau meminta untuk mengganti jam belajar sehingga kita harus mengatur ulang pembagian kelas
Interviewer: Owh, cukup merepotkan juga, menurut informasi yang saya terima, apakah betul staf pengajar disini menerapkan ABA untuk mengajar?
Respondent: Iya betul mas
Interviewer: Dari mana ibu belajar atau mengenal tentang ABA?
5
Respondent: Dari perkuliahan
Interviewer: Sejauh ini apa yang ibu ketahui tentang ABA?
Respondent: ABA adalah sebuah metode untuk membentuk perilaku anak
Interviewer: Mengapa ibu memilih ABA untuk diterapkan untuk mengajar anak-anak Down syndrome di POTAIS?
Respondent: Ya karena anak-anak disini memiliki gangguan dalam hal berperilaku
Interviewer: Lalu apa pendapat ibu tentang ABA? Setuju atau tidak?
Respondent: Kurang setuju karena terlalu terbatas sehingga anak kurang berkembang
Interviewer: Apakah menurut ibu ABA efektif untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berbicara pada anak?
Respondent: Untuk menambah kosakata efektif tapi untuk memahami apa yang dia ucapkan kurang efektif
Interviewer: Apa kesulitan – kesulitan yang ibu hadapi ketika menerapkan ABA? Lalu apa solusi yang telah dilakukan?
Respondent: Yang pertama tergantung konsentrasi anak, anak Down syndrome memiliki konsentrasi yang kurang baik dan akan sangat sulit sekali berinteraksi dengan anak ketika dia tidak mood, sedang sakit, mengantuk, atau sedang marah, untuk menyikapi hal itu kita harus mengarahkan anak pada peningkatan konsentrasi seperti memasang manik – manik dan mencoret – coret atau aktifitas lain sesuai minat anak; yang kedua, jika murni menerapkan ABA maka kemampuan lain kurang berkembang karena harus sesuai tahapan oleh karena itu kita mengkombinasi dengan massage, metode motorik dan lain sebagainya namun semuanya itu saling terkait; selain itu kita harus mengulang – ulang instruksi bahkan kadang kita merasa bosan kalau harus mengulang terus – menerus.
Interviewer: Mungkin ada informasi lain yang ingin ditambahkan bu?
Respondent: ehmmm tidak ada
Interviewer: Ok mungkin cukup sekian dulu interviewnya, terima kasih buat waktu dan informasinya.