Increase Self-Care Agency and Self-Building for Children with Down Syndrome, IPB University Students Initiate the Ananta Program

The Student Creativity Program Team in the field of Community Service (PKM-PM) at IPB University has launched a program to strengthen the self-care agency for children with Down syndrome at Yayasan Diffable Action Indonesia (YDAI). This program, named ‘Ananta’ or Anak Down Syndrome Istimewa (Special Down Syndrome Children), is implemented to enhance the self-building abilities of children with Down syndrome there.

“Ananta is a program to strengthen self-care agency using the Avatar-Experience method for children with Down syndrome at Yayasan Diffable Action Indonesia to enhance their self-building abilities through a creative and engaging program,” said Ganta.

He revealed that most children with Down syndrome are not trained in independence in the form of daily living skills (dressing, eating, and drinking independently), and have a low level of focus. Additionally, personally, they are also unable to recognize their own names and family.

“Children with down syndrome tend to focus on activities they enjoy, making it difficult to understand instructions from teachers and cooperate. These issues are the background for the initiation of the Ananta program,” he explained.

Ganta explained that the program carried out by the PKM-PM team at IPB University presents a program using the avatar-experience method. This method is adopted with reference to BF Skinner, modifying behavior by reducing unwanted behavior and increasing expected behavior from children with down syndrome.

“The ability to self-build can be formed through three pillars, namely self-help behavior, social behavior, and work-oriented behavior through behavior shaping,” he explained.

He said that these three pillars will be achieved through four experience learning sessions with the cultivation of life values such as fire, water, air, and earth. The Ananta program consists of Meeting Ananta, Experience 1: Ananta’s Story, Experience 2: The Pieces of Ananta, Experience 3: Journey of Ananta, and Experience 4: It’s me, Ananta.

The Ananta PKM-PM team consists of Ganta Gaffrila, Farhansyah, Ahmad Darmawan, Dwi Liroka, and Qur’atul Aini, accompanied by their mentor, Dr Adisti Permatasari Putri Hartoyo.

We hope that in the future these children with Down syndrome will become exceptional children,” concluded Ganta. (*/Rz) (IAAS/EXC)