The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy (WKCP) explored potential collaboration opportunities through a meeting held on Wednesday (September 17) in Room D-506, Faculty of Psychology UGM. The discussion focused on potential joint initiatives in research, studies, and the development of sustainable family- and community-based support models.
WKCP is a community of parents of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY). Since its establishment in 2012, WKCP has been actively sharing knowledge, experiences, and stories related to individuals with Cerebral Palsy, as well as their parents and families.
The Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Collaboration at the Faculty of Psychology UGM, Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D., warmly welcomed the partnership initiative.
“I’m really happy — it feels like a dream come true. We’ve often discussed how the Faculty of Psychology can also support the activities carried out by WKCP,” she said.
She added that WKCP has provided valuable learning opportunities for students through academic visits and research collaborations for undergraduate theses and final projects involving parents within the community.
“We hope that this won’t stop at research alone, because what we all aim for is the well-being of our children—especially those with Cerebral Palsy, but also in a broader sense. Hopefully, studies in psychology related to individuals with disabilities can be further explored and developed at the Faculty of Psychology UGM,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, WKCP Chairperson Reny Indrawati shared that WKCP has now reached more than 300 families in Yogyakarta, as well as in several other regions such as Sumatra and Central Java.
“We always try to have ongoing research, and from that research, we produce something meaningful—something that can then be implemented by other parent communities in different regions. This way, the practices can be replicated and adapted according to local needs,” Reny explained.
Based on WKCP’s surveys, the main needs identified among parents include psychological support, access to information about their child’s CP condition, and caregiver fatigue. For children, the primary challenges include limited access to therapy, education, and social support.
“Our hope is to provide parent support groups, coping and parenting training for stress management, as well as individual and group counseling for children with CP, along with life skills and social skills programs,” Reny said.
Writer: Erna Tri Nofiyana