The Effectiveness of a Counseling Program in Decreasing Some Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in a Sample of Divorced Women's Children with Special Needs in Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah

Abstract

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a counseling program in minimizing some emotional and behavioral disorders in a sample of divorced women's children with special needs in Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah. The sample of this study consisted of 16 children with motor, visual and hearing impairments whose ages ranged from 9 - 15 years and who were students in special education schools and institutions in Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah. The sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group with divorced women's children and a control group with non- divorced women's children. A scale for emotional and behavioral disorders was applied to both groups. Children of divorced women received a counseling program aiming to minimize their emotional and behavioral disorders levels and to help face the challenges of impairment and divorce. The results of this study show that loneliness and worry were among the first emotional disorders whereas sleeping disorders aggressiveness and attention disorders were among the first behavioral disorders. There were statistically significant differences between divorced women's children and non-divorced women's children in worry, depression, loneliness, aggressiveness and sleeping disorders in favor of divorced women's children. There were also statistically significant differences between pre and post measurements of the experimental group (divorced women's children) in all emotional and behavioral disorders as disorders level was lower in the post-measurement. There were no statistically significant differences between post and follow-up measurement which ensure that the program was effective even after stopping.