Internet use among adolescents with intellectual disabilities at home and school

• Background: Today everyday life depends on having access to, understand and use internet inorder to participate and take part in societal resources. This understanding can be complex forpersons with intellectual disabilities (ID) due to their cognitive impairments. It is even statedthat internet-use can be yet another part of daily life activities they are excluded from. Internet-use is claimed to involve risks, but also benefits for persons with ID, but there is a shortage inempirical studies with the target group ́s own opinion regarding this. Broader knowledge isacquired of internet-use in everyday life for adolescents with ID, as a precondition toparticipation. Aim: This study aims to explore and describe internet-use and doing internet activities at homeand at school among adolescents with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities. Method: The study has a qualitative inductive design using observations and interviews in thetwo settings; at home and at school. Participants are six adolescents with mild and moderate ID,from special schools in the middle-region of Sweden, between the ages 13-20, that use internetto some extent. Data was collected at 2 occasions/participant for about 2hours/participant/setting. The analysis was done using a qualitative content analysis.Result: Preliminary results show that adolescents with mild and moderate ID use internet both athome and in school, to a greater extent than was expected, but the doings of internet-activitiesvaries in the different settings. Both facilitating and hindering aspects are described by theparticipants. Pictures on the internet seem to be of support when using and navigating theinternet.Conclusion: Deeper knowledge regarding internet-use from the target groups own perspectivehas been gained. The results can be used in the different occupational settings and in furtherresearch to survey internet use and participation in internet-activities

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsterapi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Therapy (hsv//eng)

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