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…

Results of using high status peers to tutor socially unpopular peers indicated signficant increases in daily accuracy rates of tutored subjects, slight positive improvements in the sociometric standing of low status peers; immediate increase in the number of positive social contacts, and decreased frequency of negative social interactions between…

Teacher interactions with disabled and nondisabled students in 38 mainstreamed elementary classrooms were observed using an interval time-sampling procedure and behavioral categories. Results of discriminant analysis indicated that disabled students received fewer questions and were provided with less teacher feedback than their nondisabled peers.…

The verbal and nonverbal behaviors of five children (ages seven and eight) with specific language impairments wishing to gain access into established social interactions were evaluated. Although comparative children without language impairments had no difficulty, three of the subjects were unable to gain access at all and the other two did so…

Three children with autism from a self-contained elementary special education class participated in daily free-play sessions with 15 nondisabled peers, who were sequentially individually trained in appropriate interaction skills. Generalized interactions between students with autism and nontrained peers began in all three groups after the…

Eight children with severe disabilities and eight nonhandicapped peers were observed in their regular elementary school classrooms. Results indicated that children's social acceptance and opportunity for interaction were not uniquely associated with their status as individuals with severe disabilities, and suggest that implicit standards and…

Five elementary schools were studied to investigate the way teachers used peer interactions to facilitate the inclusion of a student with moderate or severe disabilities. Strategies included encouraging peers to work with students with disabilities, treating the student as "just another student;" encouraging age-appropriate interactions, and…

A study of 43 children with mental retardation working with peers on a cooperative task found that different factors influence peer acceptance and rejection. Acceptance was influenced by overall quantity of a child's interactions and peer perceptions of positive behavior; rejection was influenced by positive behavior of the target child and peer…

This study evaluated two social skills interventions designed to increase the peer acceptance of six students (ages 10-12) with learning disabilities in regular classrooms. The students were instructed in two social skills strategies as well as in skills for working in small groups and leading group activities. Two mnemonic devices were used to…

This study examined strategies used by 18 general education teachers to promote positive relationships between elementary students with and without moderate to severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Five strategies were identified: active facilitation of social interactions, empowering children, building a sense of community, modeling…

The effects of uninstructed and teacher instructed cooperative group learning on the interactive behaviors of 32 nonhandicapped and 16 handicapped (moderately mentally retarded) elementary students and also on the attitudes of nonhandicapped students toward handicapped persons were investigated. In the teacher instructed condition, the teacher…

A study of three children with multiple disabilities (two in first grade and one in fourth grade) tested the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase peer interaction. The intervention included providing information to classmates on the use of communication aids, utilization of media for social interactions, and facilitation of social…

Play-skills training, provided to eight Zambian elementary children with intellectual disabilities, resulted in more substantial increases in interaction between subjects and nondisabled children when coupled with teacher prompts, compared to training alone. Having a nondisabled child take the initiator role increased and maintained social…

The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature of conversational engagement evidenced by 30 learning-disabled and 30 nondisabled children while they participated in a semi-structured dyadic interaction. Also investigated were the relationships among the levels of engagement employed by the elementary or junior high students and their…