Abstract
Paying attention to learners with special needs is essential to achieving the principle of equal educational opportunities for all. This study is aimed at determining the effectiveness of sports programs in improving the social interaction of children with Down syndrome. The sample consisted of 12 children with Down syndrome. Their ages ranged from 8 to 14 years, and their IQ ranged from 50 to 70. They were from Al Najashi School in Al Hofuf, Al Hasa. The children were asked questions to gain preliminary data about children with Down syndrome. A scale was used to measure and assess their social interaction, and the efficacy of the sports programs in their social interaction was obtained. The results show that there are differences in the social interaction of group members in the test conducted before participation in the program (pre-test) as compared to the test conducted after participation in the program (post-test). There are also statistically significant differences among the experimental and control groups in their social interaction, in favor of the experimental group. There were no differences in the social interaction in the experimental group between the post- and follow-up tests. This shows the effectiveness of sports programs in improving social interaction in children with Down syndrome, as well as the continuing effectiveness in improving social interaction for these children during the follow-up period. The study recommends that sports programs be used to improve social interaction skills in children with Down syndrome.
Highlights
Ensuring the proper care of children with disabilities is one of the most important social issues in most states today
The biggest benefit was seen to be in the experimental group, which indicates the effectiveness of the proposed program in improving the level of social interaction among the children of the experimental group
The researchers attributed this to the positive effect of the program, which effectively and positively contributed to improving social interaction, as the sports program contained movement and social games that were designed in a manner that combined competition with performance, joy and pleasure
Summary
Ensuring the proper care of children with disabilities is one of the most important social issues in most states today. In terms of the cognitive aspects, the growth and learning processes related to the psychological, cultural and environmental factors are important for children with DS because they need to integrate into society and enjoy independence. This is important, as a lack of communication and language skills causes problems in social interaction [3]
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