The Impact of Individualized Education Programs on Developing Attention Skills in Children with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of individualized educational programs (IEPs) on developing attention skills among children with learning disabilities. Children with learning disabilities often experience deficits in selective, sustained, and divided attention, which negatively affect their academic achievement and school adjustment. The study adopted an experimental approach using a pre-test/post-test design with experimental and control groups. The sample consisted of 20 primary school children with learning disabilities, divided equally into an experimental group (10 children) and a control group (10 children), to achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher developed an attention skills scale that included three dimensions: selective attention, sustained attention, and divided attention. In addition, an individualized educational program was designed based on modern instructional strategies such as positive reinforcement, modelling, educational games, and interactive activities. The program was implemented over eight weeks at a rate of three sessions per week.

The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-test scores of the experimental group in favour of the post-test. The results also showed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-test in favour of the experimental group. These findings indicate the effectiveness of individualized educational programs in improving attention skills among children with learning disabilities. The study highlights the importance of adopting individualized educational interventions within educational institutions to enhance the cognitive and academic performance of this group.