Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the effect of using a computer-based program in developing academic skills (reading, writing and arithmetic) for children with mild intellectual disabilities as compared to the conventional teaching instructions. Methods: The study was conducted in intellectual institutions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A randomized controlled trial design was adopted in the study to determine the impact of the intervention. The study sample was composed of boys (n = 19) and girls (n = 21) aged 6 – 10 years who were selected purposively, and randomly assigned to the experimental group and control group. The two-division experimental group one for boys (n = 8) and the other for girls (n = 12) in the experimental group was studied by using an academic skills development program or a computer-based program. Results: The results indicated that there is a positive impact of the academic skills development program, which was applied to the experimental group to improve academic skills. The reason for the absence of gender differences in academic skills for the educational program is the similarity of the educational environment and the activities used in the educational program in terms of skills, activities, training methods, similar abilities and intellectual preparations for the genders, and for their interaction with the program itself. In addition, the program corresponds to the developmental characteristics of both genders, and there are no impediments to the application of the program in both genders.