Key findings:

Key findings include: the client was categorized as a slow learner with special needs; the client experienced difficulties in almost all subjects, particularly memorization and comprehension; and the study concluded that the client required targeted support to address their learning needs.

What is known and what is new?

What is known is that children with special learning difficulties require attention from both parents and teachers. What is new is the specific study on the assessment and recognition of symptoms in 11-year-old grade 5 students, identifying them as slow learners with problems in almost all subjects, particularly memorization and comprehension.

What is the implication, and what should change now?

The implication is that early identification and appropriate intervention are crucial for supporting slow learners. Changes needed include implementing comprehensive assessment processes, providing targeted support in areas of difficulty, and ensuring that teachers and parents work collaboratively to address the unique needs of each child with special learning difficulties.

Education is a conscious and planned effort to create a learning atmosphere and learning process so that students actively develop their potential to have religious spiritual strength, self-control, personality, intelligence, noble character, and skills needed by themselves and society [1]. In its implementation, it is in a continuous process in every type and level of education, everything is related in an integral education system [2].

Children with special needs are children who are significantly different in several important dimensions of their human functioning, namely children who are physically, psychologically, cognitively, or socially hampered in achieving their goals or needs and potential to the maximum [3].  Government Regulation No. 17 of 2010 Article 129 paragraph (3) stipulates that students with disabilities consist of students who; a) visually impaired; b) deaf; c) speech impairment; d) Intellectual impairment; e) disability; f) tunalar; g) learning difficulties; h) slow learner; i) autism; j) have motor impairments; k) be a victim of abuse of narcotics, illegal drugs, and other addictive substances; and l) have other abnormalities. 

According to the IDEA or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments made in 1997 and reviewed in 2004: in general, children with special learning difficulties are, children who experience barriers / deviations in one or more basic psychological processes that include understanding or use of language both oral and written. Obstacles can be inability to hear, think, speak, read, write, spell or count [4]. The NJCLD (the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities) defines learning difficulties as a general term associated with a heterogeneous group of deviations, indicated by apparent difficulties in mastering and using listening, speaking, reading, writing, thinking, or mathematical skills. These deviations are intrinsic to the individual, thought to be due to disruption of central nervous system function, and can occur throughout life. Problems in self-regulation behavior, social perception and social interaction can arise in learning difficulties, but are not the main source of learning difficulties [5].

The role of teachers is very important in guiding children with special needs in the school environment, especially for ABK students who do not see their limitations directly such as slow learners. Slow learner children are one of the categories of children with special needs who do not have special physical characteristics, because ABK children are no different from children in general. This is in accordance with the opinion (Triani & Amir, 2016) which explains that in terms of physical, slow learners do not show different characteristics from other children. Slow learners are not only limited to academic abilities but also to other abilities such as language or communication, emotional, social or moral aspects [6].

Children with special learning difficulties need attention from both parents and teachers. In the case of teachers who do not have special experience or competence in handling children with special needs in the classroom, it will be an obstacle to the child's learning process, and can even result in inaccurate justification for children. When a child with a slower learning pace or what is often referred to as a "slow learner" is not handled appropriately in the classroom, this can have several consequences that can potentially affect the learning process and student well-being.

The client is 11 years old and in grade V of Primary School. The client was referred by his class teacher to the School Psychologist because his school performance was not like the usual children in his class. Clients have difficulty concentrating during the learning process and understanding the material provided by the teacher. The client is not fluent in reading and still often reverses on some letters, not fluent in writing. The Client has problems in counting, where the Client is only able to do simple calculations, while in this class V, the Client has to learn more complex calculation problems and demands understanding. Clients also have difficulty in remembering what has been learned and lack motivation to learn. When given a task, the Client very rarely completes the task to completion, so it still requires special assistance to read and do practice questions. Therefore, the objectives of this study, namely 1) Design the assessment process and collect supporting data to corroborate the initial allegation. 2) Recognize the symptoms of Client behavior to find the root of the problem.

In this study, the selection of subjects used purposive sampling techniques, namely the selection of samples according to what the researcher wanted [7]. The clients in the study were children who were 11 years old and were in grade 5. The research conducted consists of three main procedures, namely preparation, implementation and data analysis. The preparation stage, starting from making a research design in the form of a research proposal then compiling research instruments in the form of modules and objective tests of summation. The next stage is to conduct assessments aimed at obtaining accurate data to establish diagnoses and conclude problems, as well as designing interventions to overcome client problems. After that, integrate data from the assessment results.
 

Client Issues

The client is a child with the age of 11 years and is in class V. Academically the client has obstacles in doing the calculation questions. This is because the Client is still not fluent in reading and understanding orders. Clients are only able to do simple calculations, while in class V, clients have to learn more complex calculation problems and demand understanding. Clients find it difficult to concentrate and understand the content of the reading. Clients also have difficulty in remembering what has been learned, so they cannot practice questions in class independently, often not until the completion of the task given by the teacher. In addition to having limited reading skills, the Client's learning motivation is also low, sometimes the Client is lazy and reasons to be tired when guided to read storybooks and class assignments.

Motorically, the Client has obstacles in fine motor, the Client has difficulty writing on some letters and sometimes reverses on certain letters, the Client has no obstacles in gross motor, can play ball, run and do other activities. Clients have good social relationships with teachers and friends. How to behave to teachers is polite and friendly, it can be seen from the different ways of speaking between teachers and their peers. During class, clients sometimes do not listen and do not follow lessons but play or talk with their friends. Clients also often complain about not having a pencil on the grounds that they don't have a pencil with them or have them picked up by their friends.

Assessment Results

Table 1. Academic History

Source: primary data 2023
From the results of initial identification from the school when the Client was in grade II, the following results were obtained:

The client has a reading impediment where reading is very slow and still spelled, it is difficult to distinguish some letters such as "b", "d", "m", "n", "w". 

Difficulty concentrating and sometimes difficult to understand the content of the reading, difficulty remembering what has been learned. 

There are letters that are reversed in writing in a sentence or even there are letters missing.

Cannot do questions independently in class and assignments from teachers are often not completed.

The client has difficulty writing some letters and sometimes reverses on certain letters.

From the results of the examination using the WISC test kit, the following results were obtained:

Table 2. Intelligence Test Results

Source: primary data 2023

Based on measurements made with the WISC (Wechsler Intelligence for Children) tool, the results of Client intelligence are obtained including the category of "borderline" (borderline) which is educationally called slow learner [8]. The client has intellectual potential below that of a normal child. In some cases clients tend to experience barriers or delays in thinking, responding to stimuli and social adaptation, but still much better than children with intellectual disabilities, more slowly than normal children. Clients need a long and repeated time to master the material and in completing academic and non-academic assignments, hence requiring counseling guidance services and peer tutors.  

Based on measurements made with the WISC (Wechsler Intelligence for Children) tool, the results of Client intelligence IQ = 74 were obtained which included the category of "borderline" which is educationally called "slow learner" [8]. The client has intellectual potential below that of a normal child. In some cases the Client tends to experience inhibition or delay in thinking, responding to stimuli and social adaptation. Clients need a long and repeated time to master the material and in completing academic and non-academic assignments, therefore require special guidance services.

In terms of learning activities, Clients during lessons tend to be less interested and passive in class. Especially if the Client is faced with a lesson that requires a lot of reading. On the question of the calculation question that does not require a story problem, the Client is still eager to work, but when faced with the story problem, the Client's face immediately turns tense. Clients prefer to do questions if someone else reads the questions. Clients are also excited if they learn or do assignments using game aids, especially for math lessons.

Intervensi

Table 3. Intervention Design

Source: primary data 2023

Table 4. Evaluation of Intervention Results

Source: primary data 2023

From the follow-up carried out by practice to the class teacher and his accompanying teacher, by using the stamp game tool, the Client is more motivated to solve the calculation problem without worrying about difficulties. The accompanying teacher also continues to hone the Client's ability and skills to use game stamps when learning mathematics.

Follow up to parents, when at home, parents pay attention to the repetition of lessons that must be done at home. Clients have also begun to be involved in household chores that encourage them to have skills, namely helping mothers to complete laundry work.
 

Based on the description above, it can be concluded that the Client is included in the category of children with special needs slow learners. Clients experience problems in almost all subjects especially those with regard to memorization and comprehension. Clients also experience problems with numeracy. Clients have difficulty in understanding abstract things accompanied by low learning outcomes compared to their peers. Clients need a long and repeated time to master the material and in completing academic and non-academic assignments. The Client has received a special mentoring program from the Accompanying Teacher but has not found the right method or tool to help the Client in his difficulties. Parents fully submit the Client's learning process at school, so it is less optimal in the learning process at home which requires repetition.

Based on these problems, the practice of making intervention programs carried out to improve the ability of Clients includes psychoeducation to parents and consultation / sharing with teachers, as well as assistance for Clients in an effort to improve numeracy skills using stamp game tools. The results of the intervention that have been carried out can be concluded that the results of the stamp game method that have been given show meaningful progress, the Client has begun to show progress in his numeracy ability. Initially, the Client could not solve the calculation problems as standard in his class by looking up, now the Client is starting to be able to solve the calculation problems of static and dynamic subtraction addition and multiplication of one-digit and two-digit divisions. This stamp game method will also be very useful for Clients in everyday life, where their activities will not be separated from counting, such as counting money when spending something, saving or other things related to counting.

Funding: No funding sources.

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya.
 

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