Pendekatan Terapi Bermain dalam Membantu Menigkatkan Keterampilan Makan Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus di Sekolah Luar Biasa

ABSTRAK Anak berkebutuhan khusus (ABK) sering mengalami hambatan dalam mengembangkan kemandirian, termasuk dalam keterampilan makan yang merupakan bagian penting dari aktivitas bina diri. Hambatan motorik halus, koordinasi tangan-mata, serta keterbatasan sosial dan emosional menyebabkan anak cenderung bergantung pada orang tua atau guru saat makan. Kegiatan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (PkM) ini bertujuan meningkatkan kemandirian makan anak berkebutuhan khusus melalui pendekatan terapi bermain menggunakan media boneka tangan di Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri (SLBN) 3 Denpasar. Sasaran kegiatan adalah 9 orang siswa kelas IIIb dengan berbagai kondisi disabilitas, yaitu Down syndrome, autisme, speech delay, dan hiperaktif.Metode pelaksanaan terdiri dari tiga tahap: (1) persiapan, meliputi koordinasi dengan pihak sekolah dan observasi awal kemampuan makan anak; (2) pelaksanaan, berupa kegiatan edukasi gizi seimbang, pelatihan kemandirian makan, dan pembentukan perilaku makan sehat melalui terapi bermain boneka tangan, di mana anak berinteraksi langsung dengan boneka dalam permainan “Menyuapi Boneka” dan “Boneka Makan Sendiri”; serta (3) evaluasi, melalui observasi perilaku makan dan aktivitas anak dalam mengelompokkan makanan sehat dan tidak sehat. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa pendekatan terapi bermain dengan boneka tangan secara signifikan meningkatkan motivasi dan kemampuan anak dalam makan secara mandiri. Anak tampak lebih fokus, percaya diri, dan antusias dalam mengikuti kegiatan. Guru juga melaporkan peningkatan pemahaman anak terhadap konsep makanan sehat serta kemampuan menggunakan alat makan tanpa banyak bantuan. Kesimpulannya, terapi bermain dengan media boneka tangan terbukti efektif dan menyenangkan dalam menstimulasi kemandirian makan anak berkebutuhan khusus, sekaligus memperkuat kolaborasi antara guru, anak, dan lingkungan belajar yang inklusif. Kata Kunci: Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus, Kemandirian Makan, Terapi Bermain, Boneka Tangan, Pengabdian Masyarakat. ABSTRACT Children with special needs often experience difficulties in developing independence, particularly in self-feeding skills, which are essential aspects of daily living activities. Limitations in fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and social-emotional development often cause dependency on parents or teachers during mealtime. This community service program aimed to enhance the self-feeding independence of children with special needs through play therapy using hand puppets at Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri (SLBN) 3 Denpasar, Bali. The activity involved nine students from class IIIb with various disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, speech delay, and hyperactivity. The program consisted of three stages: (1) preparation, including coordination with the school and initial observation of children’s feeding abilities; (2) implementation, which focused on nutrition education and self-feeding training through interactive play therapy with hand puppets, such as the activities “Feeding the Puppet” and “Puppet Eats by Itself”; and (3) evaluation, conducted through observation and children’s performance in classifying healthy and unhealthy foods. The results showed that play therapy using hand puppets significantly improved the children’s motivation, focus, and independence in self-feeding. Children became more confident and enthusiastic, while teachers observed better understanding of healthy food concepts and improved use of eating utensils with minimal assistance. In conclusion, hand puppet-based play therapy proved to be an effective, engaging, and inclusive approach to promoting self-feeding independence among children with special needs, while also fostering collaboration between teachers, students, and their learning environment. Keywords: Children With Special Needs, Self-Feeding Independence, Play Therapy, Hand Puppets, Community Service.