DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AS MEANS OF DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Abstract

This paper examines how digital learning environments can function as structured and inclusive contexts for developing social skills among children with special educational needs in primary education. The purpose is to synthesize current educational research on the ways technology-mediated interaction supports communication, cooperation, emotional understanding, turn-taking, conflict resolution, and participation with peers, while also identifying conditions that enhance or limit effectiveness in inclusive classrooms. The methodology is a structured narrative literature review that draws on recent peer-reviewed studies and practice-oriented research in inclusive pedagogy, digital learning design, and social skill development; studies were selected to represent a range of digital modalities, including collaborative platforms, interactive learning games, digital storytelling, and guided online group tasks implemented within school settings. The results indicate convergent evidence that well-designed digital environments can promote social participation by increasing predictability, offering multiple modes of expression, and enabling scaffolded peer interaction through clear roles, shared goals, and feedback routines. Across studies, positive outcomes were most consistently associated with teacher facilitation, explicit social goal-setting, and the integration of social interaction into authentic learning tasks rather than isolated training activities. At the same time, findings underline that technology does not automatically generate meaningful social engagement; benefits were weaker when digital activities were individualistic, poorly structured, or disconnected from classroom relationships, and when educators lacked support to adapt tasks to diverse profiles of need. The paper concludes that digital learning environments are best understood as mediating tools that can extend inclusive participation when paired with intentional pedagogy, supportive classroom climate, and ongoing monitoring of peer dynamics. Recommendations emphasize designing collaborative tasks with clear interaction scripts, providing professional development focused on inclusive digital facilitation, ensuring equitable access to devices and connectivity, and combining digital interaction with planned face-to-face social opportunities to strengthen generalization across contexts.