PENGARUH SENAM OTAK TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN MEMORI JANGKA PENDEK PADA ANAK TUNA GRAHITA RINGAN DI SDLB NEGERI PATRANG KABUPATEN JEMBER

Abstract

Percentage of mild mentally impaired children is higher than mentally impaired children with other classification, including in Indonesia. Mild mentally impaired children have low short term memory ability that caused by abnormalities in the brain so it has limitations in the process of remembering. Short term memory ability is essential element of cognitive development, so it is important to enhance the ability of short term memory with brain stimulation is brain gym. Brain gym can enhance hippocampus ability and neurogenesis that it is important part of the brain for remembering process. The study aims to analyze the influence of brain gym on short term memory ability on mild mentally impaired children. The design of this study was quasy experimental research with non randomized control group pretest-posttest design. The population in this study were 22 respondents and the samples were 22 respondents with mild mentally impaired children who divided into 2 groups, they were control group and experimental group. Data was analyzed with Mann Whitney U Test. The result shown that P value was 0,007 (0,007 < α=0,05), so can conclude that there is an influence of brain gym on short term memory ability on mild mentally impaired children in SDLB Patrang, Jember Regency. The suggestion from this study is nurses and parents can give brain gym early, and teachers can insert brain gym become additional education for children with mild mentally impaired.