The study addresses the social participation of integrated students with special educational needs (SEN) in upper primary regular classes in Greece alongside their perceptions of best friend quality. Social participation was defined as consisting of four key dimensions: students' acceptance by classmates, friendships, social self-perceptions, and…

Research on school social dynamics suggests that antisocial behavior is often supported by peer group processes particularly during late childhood and adolescence. Building from a social interactional framework, this article explores how information on the social functions of aggressive and disruptive behavior may help to guide function-based…

This study addresses the convergent validity of a new teacher questionnaire to assess the social participation of students with special needs in regular primary schools. The Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ) consists of four subscales representing four key themes of social participation: friendships/relationships, contacts/interactions,…

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between educational arrangements, social participation during leisure time and perceived social acceptance and peer intimacy among disabled children. Methods: Eighty-five Norwegian children with disabilities, 11- to 13-year old, and their parents, participated in this study. An…

This study addresses the social participation of young students (Grades One to Three) with special needs in regular Dutch primary schools. More specifically, the focus lies on four key themes related to social participation: friendships/relationships, contacts/interactions, students' social self-perception, and acceptance by classmates. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine the social participation of young children with disabilities in inclusive preschool programs. One hundred forty-three preschool-aged children with disabilities were observed in classrooms representing four organizational contexts: community-based, Head Start, public school, and blended. Children's and…

Social isolation and the harassment of students with disabilities are closely related problems that occur in schools throughout the country. Often, both problems begin in middle school. Social isolation and harassment can feed each other--without meaningful interaction with students with disabilities, other students are more likely to make hurtful…

The study involving 60 disabled and 624 nondisabled elementary students compared three methods used to evaluate social ability: teacher ratings, sociometric ratings, and direct observation. Findings revealed that disabled children are viewed as less socially acceptable by both teachers and peers but do not differ from nondisabled peers in actual…

The author reviews programs and procedures which have been developed to modify peer acceptance of exceptional children in the regular classroom. (SW)

Large group activities in which affection was discussed, modeled, and practiced were effective in increasing peer interaction of three isolate preschool children, two of whom were developmentally disabled. Activities were designed to lessen aversion to touching and to increase peer social approaches, smiling, and active affectionate physical…

A study of four children with disabilities and six children without disabilities in an integrated preschool investigated the effects of pairing children with disabilities with trained peers for school activities and teaching interaction skills to all the children. Results found interactions between the children significantly increased after…

The study developed a 12 item Likert type scaled answer sheet, associated questions regarding social situations where the handicapped and nonhandicapped might interact, and a posterboard picture for determining the attitudes of primary grade students toward other handicapped children. Interviews, observations, a review of the literature,…

The activity book is designed to assist school counselors in preparing nonhandicapped persons to interact in a positive manner with the handicapped. An introductory section defines the term handicapped, offers program management guidelines, considers needs assessment, and describes three counseling models (peer helper, classroom guidance, and…

The article outlines practical strategies based on a theoretical model and research support for establishing constructive interaction among mainstreamed handicapped and nonhandicapped students. (SBH)

Under a research and development project entitled Reducing Isolation in the Mainstream, classroom teachers who had hearing impaired or vision impaired students in their classes were recruited to join special educators in investigating how to promote integration of handicapped students. (SBH)