The Importance of Self-Concept Understanding for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

AMBON (November 3, 2019) – The Social Rehabilitation Center for People with Intellectual Disabilities (BRSPDI) "Nipotowe" Palu together with the Maluku Province Social Service held a Partnership activity. On the first day of the implementation of this Partnership, the officers who carried out the activities filled in with activities such as Introduction, Study Contract, and Psychosocial Therapy. Officers consist of Social Workers, Social Counselors, and Occupational Therapists.

The activity starts at 12 noon after the participants carry out worship at the church. The Social Worker begins the activity with introductions between participants. A total of 15 participants who took part in the activity were students from SLB Leleani Ambon. Accompanied by the teachers from the students, the service recipients seemed embarrassed to introduce themselves.

Before carrying out training activities, officers invite all service recipients to make a wish tree as an illustration of the desires of service recipients in implementing this activity. They expect activities filled with entertainment, and some even want to play and dance.

"I want to dance, sis," said Novi innocently, one of the service recipients.

The officer fills in the activity by following what is the favourite of the service recipient, but does not reduce the substance of the activity. The officers also make an agreement with the service recipients in the form of a study contract as the rules for implementing the training that they must obey.

In psychosocial therapy that is carried out, service recipients are given an understanding to get to know the body parts they have. As well as knowing which body parts should not be touched by other people. Given that there are so many cases of abuse on children with intellectual disabilities that occur, Social Workers feel the need to provide understanding to persons with disabilities from an early age, which are good and bad.

Hopefully with this psychosocial therapy, service recipients will know how to protect themselves from immoral acts that haunt persons with intellectual disabilities.