Social outcomes for students with and without learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms

J Learn Disabil. 1998 Sep-Oct;31(5):428-36. doi: 10.1177/002221949803100502.

Abstract

Social outcomes of students who participated in two different educational settings designed to provide special services for students with learning disabilities (LD) placed full-time within the general education classroom were examined. Participants were 185 third-through sixth-grade students: 59 students with LD, 72 low to average achieving, and 54 high achieving. There was an overall educational setting effect, with students on the consultation/collaborative teaching setting demonstrating more positive outcomes than students in the co-teaching setting on friendship quality and peer acceptance. Students with LD in the consultation/collaborative teaching setting also demonstrated moderate increases in the number of reciprocal friendships from fall to spring. Discussion addresses the positive social outcomes for students with LD and high-achieving students in the consultation/collaborative teaching setting, and the importance of monitoring student progress in all settings.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Disabled Children / psychology
  • Education*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Learning Disabilities / psychology*
  • Male
  • Social Behavior*