HUBUNGAN TERAPI WICARA METODE LOVAAS DENGAN PERKEMBANGAN KEMAMPUAN BAHASA ANAK AUTIS DI KECAMATAN PATRANG KABUPATEN JEMBER

Abstract

Autism is a complex disorder of one’s development. One of the clinical symptoms that characterize autism is retardation or delay on the development of the language skill. The Lovaas method or the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is commonly known as the therapy used for helping the children as this method is highly structured, has comprehensive curriculum, while at the same time its outcomes are readily available for objective assessment. This research was intended to find out the association the association of the speech therapy using lovaas method and the development of the language skill of children with autism at SDLB (elementary school for the disabled children) Bintoro and SDLB Patrang in Patrang subdistrict Jember regency. This research was designed as an analytical observation one, using the cross sectional approach. The technique used in this research was total sampling, meaning that this research employed the total population of those schools altogether, numbering 30 children with autism. Results of this research revealed that the speech therapy using Lovaas method was conducted well, while the development on the language skills of the children with autism was classified as good. These findings were supported by the following data: the speech therapy using Lovaas method was conducted well, represented by the figure of 46,7% (14 individuals), while the development on the language skills of the children with autism was classified as good, as shown by the figure of 40,0% (12 individuals), whereas the p value = 0,017 < α (0,05). Based on those results, the association of the speech therapy using lovaas method and the development of the language skills of children with autism existed, respectively.