Speech and Language Disorders and Their Relationship to Social interaction Among Mentally Disabled Children from the Perspective of Teachers in Some Rehabilitation Centers in Zliten

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between speech and language disorders and social interaction among a sample of children with intellectual disabilities, from the perspective of teachers working in selected rehabilitation centers in the city of Zliten. It also sought to identify whether there were statistically significant differences in speech and language disorders and social interaction according to the degree of intellectual disability, as well as to determine whether differences existed among children with intellectual disabilities who experienced speech and language disorders according to age.

The researcher employed the descriptive-analytical method. The study sample consisted of 40 female teachers who responded to the research questionnaire. The research instruments included the Speech and Language Disorders Scale and the Social Interaction Scale developed by Dr. Abdel Moneim and Ahmed Mahmoud. The statistical methods used included the self-validity coefficient to verify the validity of the research instrument, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to assess its reliability, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The results indicated a positive relationship between speech and language disorders and social interaction at a significance level of (0.05). The findings also revealed no statistically significant differences at the (0.05) significance level in speech and language disorders according to the degree of intellectual disability, and no statistically significant differences in social interaction according to the degree of intellectual disability. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found in speech and language disorders according to teachers’ years of experience, nor in social interaction according to years of experience. However, statistically significant differences were found in speech and language disorders according to age, as well as in social interaction according to age, at the (0.05) significance level..