<![CDATA[English is an international language that is very important to be mastered by the next generation of the nation. All future generations of the nation, both students with high abilities, normal or even for students with special needs. However, there are various obstacles for lecturers in delivering English learning materials for students with special needs. This study aims to identify the learning needs of students with special needs and develop interactive English learning media based on pop-up books. This study uses the Design and Development Research (DDR) method, which consists of three stages: analysis, design and development, and evaluation. This model refers to Richey's opinion, which explains that the DDR method is very appropriate for developing educational products and learning resources because it facilitates the construction of knowledge and skills integrated in learning activities (Richey: 2007). Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis involving 25 students with special needs at Sahid University Surakarta. The results showed that 80% of students showed a high interest in learning English through visual-based media, while 56% had difficulty in understanding learning materials without visual support. Furthermore, 80% of students expressed a strong preference for interactive and visual learning methods. Based on these findings, pop-up book-based learning media was developed and evaluated by experts. The evaluation results showed that the media was appropriate, effective, and suited to student characteristics. Therefore, interactive visual media such as pop-up books can increase student engagement, comprehension, and motivation in learning English.]]>
