A bibliotherapy intervention was used to foster acceptance of children with disabilities by their nondisabled peers. The study involved 247 regular students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade non-integrated classrooms at one elementary school. Treatment students read either fiction or nonfiction literature, followed by discussion of the material.…

This report presents case studies of six children (ages 9-10) at high risk for mild intellectual disability who were attending six different regular education primary schools in the greater Auckland, New Zealand, metropolitan area. The children were experiencing major academic difficulties and had made limited academic progress in the 6- to…

This study investigated the peer acceptance of integrated students with disabilities as a function of severity of disability and amount of overall student variance in the class. The study involved 14 classrooms and 285 students. Of the 44 students with disabilities, 30 had been classified as mildly disabled and 14 as severely disabled. A…

A study examined communication skills of college students to determine the relationship between individuals' skill valuings and their acceptance within peer groups of intact social systems. Data were gathered from 102 residents of two fraternities and 106 residents of two sororities. Subjects completed the Communication Functions Questionnaire and…

Acceptance of handicapped students by their peers is a major component of success in the mainstreamed classroom. How teachers plan for interactions and lessons determines the degree to which social acceptance is achieved. The teacher's behavior models desired social acceptance, and the structure of learning activities evidence academic…

The paper outlines a theoretical framework through which teacher attitudes may be viewed, then examines research and literature on the public's, peers', and teachers' attitudes toward handicapped populations. The practical application of the theoretical considerations and strategies for insuring positive teacher attitudes are offered. Among the…

Adolescents' best friendships are often believed to contribute to their psychosocial adjustment. This study examined the relationship between students' adjustment to school and the positive features, negative features, and frequency of interaction in their friendships. Participating were 106 students, 90 percent of whom were white, in a small…

Research on popularity during childhood and early adolescence suggests that children who are perceived as popular by peers are not necessarily the same children who are sociometrically popular. This study extended previous research on popularity by examining children's perceptions of popularity. The study used open-ended questions instead of peer…

This study examined age-related changes in the relationship between children's perceptions of how peers treat them, their affective distress, and their position within the peer group. Subjects were 380 boys and girls (163 second graders and 217 fifth graders) from 4 Greensboro, North Carolina, elementary schools. Children's sociometric status was…

This study examined the similarity among 45 sibling pairs in the third through fifth grade, in their social and academic adaptation to the school setting as evaluated by multi-agent and multi-method assessment of adjustment. Measurements included teacher ratings and rankings of academic skills, social behavior, and peer acceptance; peer…

The report describes a study which looked at two-way interactions among teachers and severely physically disabled and nondisabled children who were followed from kindergarten through first grade. Seven of the children had cerebral palsy and one a muscular disorders. Data collection included direct classroom observation on 74 days; interviews with…

Peer sociometrics, teacher ratings of academic performance, and self-concept scores were used to compare the social, academic, and psychological adjustment of 47 low-achieving/retained, low-achieving/promoted, and average achieving/promoted 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-grade students from two southern rural elementary schools. Because the sample was…

A questionnaire on the topic of mainstreaming was submitted to educators in three schools in the Richmond, Virginia area and to three graduate classes at Virginia Commonwealth University. Of the 110 respondents, half were regular classroom teachers, and the other half included special education teachers, administrators, counselors, and other…

A study investigated whether Future Farmers of America (FFA) members and non-members differed in their perception of FFA programs and services and whether their perceptions were influenced by gender and ethnicity, enrollment choice, prior enrollment in an agricultural class, block scheduling, grade level, and extracurricular activities. A…

Teacher and peer perceptions of aggression were investigated with 479 male and 420 female third through eighth graders. Teachers and students' peers reported higher levels of aggression in boys than girls, and these perceptions were relatively stable across grades. Issues relevant to identification of highly aggressive youth were identified. (SLD)