Parental Psychoeducation Program as an Effort for Early Detection and Management of Language Delay in Early Childhood

Abstrak

Language delay in early childhood is a prevalent developmental concern that may affect children’s communication, literacy, and long-term academic outcomes. Strengthening parents’ understanding of early language milestones and appropriate intervention strategies is therefore essential. This community service program aimed to enhance parental literacy regarding the early detection and management of language delay through a structured psychoeducation session involving 14 parents of young children. The intervention was delivered in a single face-to-face meeting consisting of four stages: pretest assessment, psychoeducation, facilitated discussion, and posttest evaluation. The material covered fundamental concepts of receptive and expressive language development, indicators of language delay, and practical home-based stimulation strategies. A descriptive quantitative analysis was conducted by comparing pretest and posttest scores to measure changes in parental knowledge. The results showed a clear improvement in participants’ understanding after the session, indicating that the psychoeducational program effectively strengthened parents’ awareness of early language development and initial intervention principles. These findings highlight the importance of parent-focused psychoeducation as a strategic effort to support early detection and timely management of language delay in early childhood