Digital Technologies to Enhance the Social and Cognitive Development of Special Needs Learners
- Technology use in special education settings helps to shatter the barriers that learners with disability face and provide them access to the most relevant educational resources needed for their social and cognitive development.
- Using digital technologies to enhance the social and cognitive development of special needs learners.
- Special educational learners need access to digital technologies for them to have a competitive edge in an increasingly digital society.
- Technologies expose people to possible cyberbullying, and children with disabilities are at a high risk of being victims because of their vulnerabilities.
- Special needs learners are an interesting cohort because of the various challenges they face as they try to find their place in society.
- It is important to find a way to strike a balance between the use of digital technologies among special needs learners and reducing their exposure to incidences of cyberbullying.
- Even though these learners need access to emerging digital technologies for them to remain competitive, their vulnerable status makes them the ideal victims of online attacks.
- The contemporary world is increasingly becoming technologically-driven, and the knowledge of emerging innovations is necessary for survival.
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- Special needs students face several challenges that limit their ability to navigate competitively in society, and technology use can help break these barriers.
- Digital technologies, such as social media, have become important networking platforms. Persons with disabilities can use them to explore the several socio-economic opportunities presented by these networks and carve themselves a sustainable competitive edge.
- Finding ways to encourage the constructive use of social media by this cohort is paramount to addressing the barriers they face as they try to fit in society. The theme emphasizes the importance of these learners developing technology skills.
- The work by Alghazo and Al-Otaibi (2016) finds a positive connection between early exposure to digital technologies and better development of social and cognitive skills among special needs learners.
- The growing dependence on digital technologies has been linked to several negative outcomes such as cyberbullying.
- Excessive exposure to digital technologies, for example, social media, increases the risks of being victims of cyberbullying, which predisposes victims to social developmental issues.
- Cyberbullying and online trolling negate efforts to increase the social and cognitive development of learners with special needs.
- Even though encouraging the use of social media is appropriate for these learners, caution should be taken to protect them from being victims of online attacks. The theme highlights the possible risks of exposing these learners to the online world.
- Evidence reveals that cyberbullies often target vulnerable persons, such as persons with disabilities (Beckman, Hellström, & von Kobyletzki, 2020).
- Breaking the social barriers faced by learners with special needs might require the use of digital technologies because of their growing proliferation in almost all areas of life.
- Emerging digital technologies present endless opportunities in the domain of special needs education. However, there use should be closely monitored to reduce the possibilities of exposing these learners to cyberattacks, which are common among vulnerable groups.
- More studies should explore ways to positively use digital technologies to enhance the social development of special needs learners.
- Educators should be at the forefront of advocating the integration of digital technologies in the classroom.