Studi Deskriptif Peran Guru dalam Menangani Anak Speech Delay di TK Darussalam Sumenep

Artikel ini membahas penyebab, dampak, serta strategi penanganan keterlambatan bicara (speech delay) pada anak usia dini dengan menekankan peran guru sebagai pihak utama di lingkungan sekolah. Keterlambatan bicara merupakan kondisi ketika anak belum mampu berbicara sesuai tahap perkembangan usianya, sehingga memerlukan penanganan yang tepat dan berkelanjutan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan peran guru dalam menangani anak yang mengalami speech delay di TK Darussalam Sumenep. Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa observasi dan wawancara terstruktur. Data diperoleh melalui pengamatan langsung terhadap aktivitas pembelajaran serta wawancara dengan guru yang terlibat dalam proses pembelajaran anak. Data yang terkumpul kemudian dideskripsikan dan dianalisis untuk memperoleh gambaran peran guru secara menyeluruh. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa guru memiliki peran penting dalam mengatasi hambatan berbicara anak, antara lain dengan mengenali karakteristik anak yang mengalami speech delay, menyesuaikan teknik dan bahan ajar, memberikan respons positif, serta mendorong keterlibatan anak dalam berbagai aktivitas kelas. Selain itu, guru menerapkan komunikasi yang jelas dengan bantuan gerakan tubuh dan artikulasi yang tepat, mengulang kata secara sederhana, melatih anak berbicara secara perlahan dan berulang, memperhatikan kosakata anak, serta memperbaiki kesalahan pengucapan melalui kerja sama dengan orang tua atau keluarga. Hasil ini menegaskan pentingnya kolaborasi dan pendekatan pedagogis yang tepat dalam menangani anak dengan speech delay.

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This article discusses the causes, effects, and strategies for dealing with speech delay in early childhood, emphasizing the role of teachers as key figures in the school environment. Speech delay is a condition in which a child is unable to speak according to their age- appropriate developmental stage, requiring appropriate and ongoing treatment. This study aims to describe the role of teachers in handling children with speech delay at Darussalam Sumenep Kindergarten. The method used is qualitative descriptive with data collection techniques in the form of observation and structured interviews. Data were obtained through direct observation of learning activities and interviews with teachers involved in the children's learning process. The collected data were then described and analyzed to obtain a comprehensive picture of the role of teachers. The results showed that teachers play an important role in overcoming children's speech barriers, including recognizing the characteristics of children with speech delay, adjusting teaching techniques and materials, providing positive responses, and encouraging children's involvement in various classroom activities. In addition, teachers applied clear communication with the help of body movements and proper articulation, repeated words simply, trained children to speak slowly and repeatedly, paid attention to children's vocabulary, and corrected pronunciation errors through collaboration with parents or families. These results emphasize the importance of collaboration and appropriate pedagogical approaches in dealing with children with speech delays.