PENGARUH TERAPI VISUAL KARTU GAMBAR TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN KOMUNIKASI ANAK AUTIS DI PUSAT LAYANAN AUTIS KOTA BATAM TAHUN 2017

Abstract

Visual therapy using image cards is one way to improve communication skills for autistic children. UNESCO in 2014 estimates that there are 35 million people with autism in the world. Indonesia, in 2013 and Director of Mental Health Development Ministry of Health had estimated the number of children with autism in Indonesia about 112 thousand with a range of 5-19 years. The phenomenon found in the Batam Autism Service Center, visual therapy with image cards has not been optimally performed on all children. Of the 18 people population sampled entirely, there is only 1 child who has good communication skills before therapy is given and the remaining 17 people have a poor ability. This study aims to determine the comparison before and after the visual therapy of the image card on the communication skills of autistic children in Batam Autis service center. This research uses Quasy Experiment method with time series design research. The sample in this research is 18 children with autism grouping stage of development of communication of children with autism stage three, that is The Early Communication Stage.Intervention done is giving visual therapy picture card every day schedule to every child counted 10 times therapy. The results before the visual therapy, the ability of good communication only about 6% while the results of research after the visual therapy has increased to 61%. In other words, the result of the research shows that there is an increase of communication ability (p = 0,05, 95% CI). This study brings the conclusion that there is an increase in communication skills in children with autism at PusatLayananAutis Batam City. It is hoped that the application of visual therapy with image kart will be enhanced as this is one of the ways in improving the communication ability of autistic children, thus reducing barriers in communication and social interaction.