Identification of Social Needs among Students with Disabilities from the View Point of Their Teachers: UAE Perspective

Abstract

The goal of this research endeavor was to discern the social requirements of children with disabilities within the educational context of schools situated in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the study sought to explore potential differentials in the extent of these needs predicated upon variables such as gender and age. To this end, the researchers used a questionnaire consisting of 17 distinct items was methodically constructed and subsequently administered to a demographically diverse cohort of 83 educators, encompassing both male and female participants. The empirical findings of this investigation underscored the considerable significance of addressing the social needs encountered by children with disabilities in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi's educational institutions. Furthermore, the research focused on disparities in social needs were not significantly contingent upon gender-based distinctions. However, the analysis shows that age emerged as a substantively influential variable. Specifically, the researchers found that children within the age range of 7 to 10 exhibited a greater degree of social needs in comparison to their counterparts belonging to other age brackets.