Interaction between Caregivers and Children with mild Developmental Disabilities: Study of Social Behavior in the Saint Vincentius Orphanage Foundation Merauke Branch

The general objective of this study was to determine the interaction between caregivers and children with mental retardation at Bhakti Luhur, Merauke. The specific objective is to analyze and describe the interactions between caregivers and mild mentally retarded children at the St. Vincentius Merauke Orphanage, to analyze and describe the factors that become internal and external impetus in the interaction between caregivers and mild mentally retarded children who are in the St. Vincentius Orphanage Foundation Bhakti Luhur Merauke Branch. This research used descriptive qualitative approach. The location or place of research for this dissertation was the St. Vincentius Orphanage, Jalan Domba No.3 Rimba Jaya Village, Merauke District. The Key Informant was a servant mother as the Head of the St. Vincentius Orphanage, the Merauke Bhakti Luhur Foundation, which is fully responsible and directly involved in education, guidance, and services for children with special needs. The other key informant was the researcher themselves, because the researchers explored various sources, through participant observation through in-depth observation, in-depth interviews. Data analysis techniques followed the theory of Strauss & Corbin, opening coding, axial coding, selective coding. The study found that interactions between caregivers and mild mentally retarded children in St. Orphanage Vincentius Yayasan Bhakti Luhur Merauke Branch in reading activities is a continuous mutual interaction. Caregivers accompany children with mild mental retardation in reading activities carried out step by step until they can read fluently. Caregiver assistance for mild mentally retarded children in reading activities takes longer because the children's ability to learn under the normal children and the children also learn to adjust. Factors that encourage caregivers to interact with mild mentally retarded children are internal factors and external factors. This study recommends further research on educational models for mild retarded children.