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Preliminary Assessment of Friendship, Problem Behavior, and Social Adjustment in Children with Disabilities in an Inclusive Education Setting

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Abstract

Children with mild disabilities may experience complications in friendship development. This study examined variables related to friendship among third- and fifth-grade students with (n = 12) and without (n = 18) disabilities in inclusion classrooms. Thirty students completed sociometric nominations and identified a preferred best friend. Additionally, students with disabilities completed a self-competence questionnaire and teachers rated them on social and behavioral dimensions. Students with disabilities showed adequate self-competence and tended to nominate other peers with disabilities on sociometric assessments, but did not select a peer with a disability as a preferred best friend. Teachers ranked students with disabilities higher on behavior problems and rated them lower on classroom adjustment, social integration, and academic performance when compared to non-disabled peers. Although students with disabilities identified preferred friends, they may be at risk for a number of negative socio-behavioral outcomes, suggesting the need for both social skills and academic-related interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, 4001 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7555, USA

    Florence D. DiGennaro Reed

  2. Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, University of Oregon, 5208 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-5208, USA

    Laura Lee McIntyre

  3. Psychology Department, Syracuse University, 509 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA

    Jerome Dusek

  4. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Nicole Quintero

Authors
  1. Florence D. DiGennaro Reed
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  2. Laura Lee McIntyre
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  3. Jerome Dusek
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  4. Nicole Quintero
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Correspondence to Florence D. DiGennaro Reed.

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DiGennaro Reed, F.D., McIntyre, L.L., Dusek, J. et al. Preliminary Assessment of Friendship, Problem Behavior, and Social Adjustment in Children with Disabilities in an Inclusive Education Setting. J Dev Phys Disabil 23, 477–489 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-011-9236-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-011-9236-2

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