Home-Computing Model and Children with Learning Disabilities: A Systemic Approach

Abstract

The search for intervention programs aimed at empowering both children and their parents has included a focus on the introduction of computers to the home environment and on parental determination to extend the advantages and benefits of technology to promote their children's academic performance and emotional growth. Using a dynamic and individualistic approach based on observations and research, a home-computing model considers parents' often controversial tendencies related to their child's education. On one hand, parents would like to be more involved in their children's education, but, on the other hand, they have difficulty staying involved as a result of stress related to their child with disabilities, lowered sense of coherence and overload of caring duties. Two suggested strategies are viewed as representing a continuum of parent-child interactions: Creating a supportive climate for home computing and parental tutoring. The social-emotional perspective of children with learning disabilities is discussed as it relates to empowering both parents and children and to promoting their coping strategies by providing opportunities for enabling technology-related experiences.