Teacher-Parent Collaboration; Enhancing Education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Aims: This research investigates how therapeutic communication, supported by teacher-parent collaboration, enhances the social, emotional, and academic development of children with intellectual disabilities at SLB Bina Siwi, Indonesia. Participants & Methods: A qualitative approach was used, with purposive sampling selecting 5 teachers from a total of 11 and 3 parents from 5. Criteria for selecting teachers included a minimum of three years of experience and diverse educational backgrounds. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and a 3-month observation period. Snowball sampling was employed to ensure data saturation and capture diverse perspectives. Findings: The study found that therapeutic communication plays a core role in improving the social and emotional development of children with intellectual disabilities. Teachers using empathetic and adaptive communication observed increased engagement among students. Parents who actively collaborated with teachers reported improved confidence in supporting their children’s education at home, which further aids children’s adaptation to challenges in both environments. Conclusion: Therapeutic communication is crucial in educating children with intellectual disabilities, with strong teacher-parent collaboration being key to its success.

Teacher-Parent Collaboration; Enhancing Education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities Keywords:

Intellectual Disabilities , Education of Intellectually Disabled , Persuasive Communication