Friendly with Words: A Literacy Program to Improve Social Communication and Self Confidence in Children with Special Needs

Social literacy programs play a crucial role in the psychological and social development of children with special needs, including emotional support, information, and tangible support from family, teachers, and peers. This support helps children with special needs adapt to school and builds self-confidence. Communication is also a crucial skill in establishing social relationships, especially with peers. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the "Friendly with Words" literacy program in improving social communication and self-confidence in children with special needs (ABK). This program is designed as a form of literacy-based learning intervention through creative phoneme games and mini-dramas that encourage increased verbal articulation, spontaneous speaking, and confidence in public speaking. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design involving one fifth-grade ABK student at SDN 101 Sukakarya, Bandung City. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis used interactive and thematic analysis techniques. The results showed that the "Friendly with Words" program was able to improve students' verbal articulation skills, speaking fluency, and self-confidence in social interactions. Structured literacy activities have been proven effective in developing children's expressive skills, understanding, and interpersonal communication. This study concludes that literacy-based learning and planned social interactions can strengthen the social-emotional development of children with special needs and serve as a model of good practice for inclusive education in elementary schools.