The Improving Expressive Communication in Individuals with Severe Cerebral Palsy through Leisure-Based Accompaniment within a Community-Based Rehabilitation: Leisure-Based Communication Support in Severe Cerebral Palsy

Leisure-Based Communication Support in Severe Cerebral Palsy

Yohanes Subasno , Maria Yulianti , Yulius
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.20372/dcidj.982
Submitted: 2026-02-03 19:08:39
Published: 2026-09-07

Aim: This study examined the effectiveness of a leisure-based accompaniment intervention in improving expressive communication among individuals with severe cerebral palsy within a community-based rehabilitation context, informed by inclusive educational psychology.

Method: A single-subject experimental design employing a multiple-baseline-across-participants arrangement with a maintenance phase was used. The study involved three individuals with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy residing in a community-based rehabilitation setting. The Pastoral Accompaniment in Leisure (PAiL) intervention was implemented through structured leisure activities supported by visual communication media and responsive interaction. Expressive communication data were collected through direct observation and analysed using visual analysis, Percentage of All Non-overlapping Data (PAND), and Tau-U.

Results: The findings demonstrated consistent improvements in both verbal and non-verbal expressive communication across all participants during the intervention phase. Visual analysis showed positive changes in level and trend following intervention onset, with PAND values ranging from 91.67% to 100% and Tau-U values ranging from 0.94 to 1.00, indicating strong intervention effects across participants.

Conclusion: The findings provide preliminary evidence that leisure-based accompaniment within a community-based rehabilitation context can support improvements in expressive communication and communicative participation among individuals with severe cerebral palsy. Continued communicative support may be important for maintaining intervent

Implications: The findings suggest that community-based and leisure-oriented approaches may provide meaningful opportunities to support expressive communication among individuals with severe cerebral palsy, particularly in settings where access to specialised communication services is limited.

Keywords

inclusive educational psychology single-subject research psychosocial participation communication development individual with disabilities

Authors

Yohanes Subasno
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0004-6626
Maria Yulianti

Maria Yulianti is a lecturer in the Pastoral Ministry Study Programme at Sekolah Tinggi Pastoral – Yayasan Institut Pastoral Indonesia Malang (STP- IPI Malang). Her academic interests focus on educational management for children with special needs, particularly in the development of inclusive and responsive educational systems within pastoral and community-based contexts. Through her teaching and scholarly activities, she is engaged in promoting effective management practices that support inclusive education, service quality, and institutional capacity-building for the education of children with disabilities

Yulius
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0858-5465

Yulius is a lecturer in pastoral care with extensive experience in empowering marginalised communities, particularly persons with disabilities. His work emphasises inclusive pastoral accompaniment, community-based empowerment, and social inclusion.

How to Cite

Yohanes Subasno, Maria Yulianti, Yulius (2026-09-07). The Improving Expressive Communication in Individuals with Severe Cerebral Palsy through Leisure-Based Accompaniment within a Community-Based Rehabilitation: Leisure-Based Communication Support in Severe Cerebral Palsy. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 37 No. 3 (2026): Autumn Issue, 31-47. https://doi.org/10.20372/dcidj.982

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