Abstract
<p>Introduction. Higher level of knowledge and frequent contacts with peers with disabilities can influence the emergence of more positive attitudes of students towards peers with disabilities. In regard to that, our aim was to test the importance of knowledge, contact frequency and other possible factors influencing attitudes of students toward disabled peers. Methods. The study included 140 students of 4th and 5th grade of primary schools. The research was conducted in the period from December 2020 to March 2021 in two primary schools. The Chedoke McMaster scale was used to examine students' attitudes toward peers with disabilities, while Contact with Disabled Persons Scale and the Children's Knowledge about Handicapped Persons Scale were used to assess frequency of contact and knowledge about disabilities. Results. Girls showed a significantly higher level (25.21±6.21) of frequency of contacts with students with disabilities compared to boys (19.66±7.30) (p=0.043) and higher level of knowledge (27.88±5.88) about disabilities compared to boys (25.50±4.69) (p=0.009). Respondents who attended school together with children with disabilities (31.07 ± 8.41) showed a significantly higher level of frequency of contacts with students with disabilities compared to respondents who did not attend school with peers with disabilities (13.72±6.32) (p=0.001). Conclusion. Higher level of knowledge and frequent contacts with peers with disabilities does not have influence on the emergence of more positive attitudes of students towards peers with disabilities.</p>
Highlights
Developmental disabilities are defined as severe, chronic disabilities attributable to mental and/ or physical impairments that are ‘’likely to continue indefinitely“, resulting in functional limitations in self-care, learning, receptive or expressive language, self-direction, capacity for economic self-sufficiency and independent living; manifested by the age 22 and requiring care, treatmentGodište 12 Jun 2021 www.biomedicinskaistrazivanja.mef.ues.rs.ba 49Biomedicinska istraživanja 2021;12(1):49–60 or other services of extended or lifelong duration [1]
There was no statistically significant difference between the groups of children divided by age at 9, 10 and 11 years in the average values of attitudes towards children with disabilities, as well as the affective-behavioral or cognitive domain of attitudes, and no difference was observed in the frequency of contacts, nor knowledge about people with disabilities (Table 2)
A statistically significant, weak and positive correlation was observed between the affective-behavioral and cognitive domains of attitudes (r=0.172; p
Summary
Developmental disabilities are defined as severe, chronic disabilities attributable to mental and/ or physical impairments that are ‘’likely to continue indefinitely“, resulting in functional limitations in self-care, learning, receptive or expressive language, self-direction, capacity for economic self-sufficiency and independent living; manifested by the age 22 and requiring care, treatmentGodište 12 Jun 2021 www.biomedicinskaistrazivanja.mef.ues.rs.ba 49Biomedicinska istraživanja 2021;12(1): or other services of extended or lifelong duration [1]. World Health Organization estimates that more than a billion people live with some form of disability, or about 15% of the world’s population [2]. If children in schools are not taught to work and live in a community, to tolerate and appreciate differences related to origin, religion, culture, nationality, and differences in cognitive, emotional, social and sensory-motor abilities, it will undoubtedly form a community that puts people with developmental disabilities at a disadvantage [3,4]. Children who have developmental disabilities already have a large number of challenges that have arisen as a result of their difficulties, such as health and social problems, and society should avoid the possible obstacles in front of them in every possible way, including those of an educational nature. In order to avoid these obstacles, in recent years there has been a tendency to provide children with developmental disabilities, with the conditions to reach the maximum in their achievements and to inlude them in the regular educational system [3,4]
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