A Comparison Of The Social Competencies Of Learning Disabled And Low Achieving Elementary-Aged Children

Abstract

The social competencies of learning disabled (LD) and non-LD low achieving (LA) children were investigated in two studies. First, the social status of 101 LD, 156 LA, and 608 normally achieving children were assessed using peer sociometric ratings. LD and LA children received statistically significant lower ratings than normally achieving students. LD children were lower in social status than non-LD children, but did not differ significantly from LA children. Furthermore, approximately 70% of the LD children did not experience social rejection. In Study 2, parent and teacher behavior ratings were obtained for rejected and accepted LD and LA children to assess the comparability of these populations. Both LD and LA rejected children exhibited lower social competence and a greater incidence of behavior problems than did accepted children. Contrary to predictions, no differences between LD boys and girls were found in either study. Findings of significant heterogeneity in social status and the failure to find specific behavioral qualities associated with the presence of learning disabilities contradict arguments that social skill deficits constitute a major defining characteristic of the LD population.