Psychoeducation For Parents and Shadow Teachers: Managing Tantrum Behavior in Children With Special Needs

Abstract

Tantrum behavior in children with special needs represents challenging behavior with deliberate intent and purpose. This tantrum behavior manifests within the school environment and frequently emerges at home. This behavior often leaves parents overwhelmed by ineffective management. Tantrum behavior impacts the child’s learning experience within the school setting. Limited understanding of tantrum behavior management among parents and shadow teachers can lead to either neglect or inadvertent reinforcement of such tantrum behaviors. Given the pivotal roles of parents as primary educators at home and shadow teachers as companions within the school, both play as agents of change in molding the child’s adaptive capabilities. This research aims to support parents and teachers in enhancing their comprehension of managing tantrum behaviors in children with special needs through psychoeducational interventions. The research participants comprise a community of parents and shadow teachers associated with children with special needs at an inclusive school in Malang City. This study presents an experimental approach using a one-group pretest and posttest design. The intervention outcomes reveal a highly significant distinction between the scores of tantrum behavior management knowledge before and after undergoing psychoeducational intervention (Z = –4.160; P = 0.000). Knowledge regarding tantrum behavior management after participating in psychoeducational interventions falls within the “high” category (68.2%). According to research participants, the perceived usefulness of psychoeducational interventions is gauged as somewhat beneficial (45.5%) and highly beneficial (54%). The subjects’ perception of the feasibility of implementing psychoeducational interventions varies, with a high level of confidence (36.4%), a moderate level of confidence (50%), and a sense of uncertainty or doubt (13.6%). Keywords: community, parents of children with special needs, psychoeducation,