Comparison of Cognitive and Behavior Development Between Typical Students and Students with Multiple Disabalities (Deaf and Autism)

The development of children encompasses interconnected aspects such as cognitive, physical, socioemotional, language, and behavioral domains. However, not all children are born following typical developmental trajectories. This is because some children have disabilities that may affect their cognitive, emotional, and physical development differently from typically developing children. Therefore, the purpose of this case study is to explore the developmental comparison between typically developing students and students with Special Education Needs (SEN) with multiple disabalities. This study is crucial for schools, especially teachers, to plan teaching and learning activities that are appropriate for students' developmental stages. Furthermore, this casebstudy involves two participants, a 10-year-old typically developing student from a mainstream school and another student from a Special Education School (SPK) with multiple disabilities, including hearing impairment and autism. The data collection methods include interviews, document analysis, and observation. Two teachers and two parents also participate as interviewees in this study. The students' worksheets are used as document analysis to observe the cognitive development comparison between the two students. Meanwhile, observation methods are conducted using a checklist form to observe the students' behavioral comparison. The findings of this study indicate that the behavior of typically developing students is more controlled, while students with SEN require rewards to control their behavior. Additionally, the cognitive development of typically developing students aligns with their age, whereas the cognitive development of students with SEN is at a minimum level. The implications of this study suggest that teachers and parents need to employ appropriate approaches and methods in educating children because they have different developmental stages. Further studies can also be conducted, such as a survey study on teaching and learning methods, to examine effective teaching and learning methods for typical and special needs students.