VIRTUAL FRIENDSHIP: CONTRIBUTION OF INTERVENTION TO THE SELF-IMAGE OF MENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN

Zuhaira Najjar and Esmael Salman
The Arab Academic College for Education in Israel
Israel

This paper presents an empirical study designed to test an e-intervention project based on virtual friendship for children with mental disability (MD). Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the study explores the correlation between friendly relations that are created and developed via Information Communication Technology (ICT) and self-image of children with MD, and examines the correlation of these relations with the social involvement of student-teachers. Findings show that along with the human factor, ICT can serve as a tool of intervention in the social and emotional fields among people with intellectual disability. Positive implications of the intervention has been found; on the one hand, it contributes to the self-image of the MD child and on the other hand it promotes the social commitments of the students-teaches to MD children. ICT has been identified as an important aspect of a wider strategy for social inclusion of children with MD.

return to Session 15
return to main page