Students with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors in Jordan

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a study which aimed to explore the learning and behavioral characteristics of students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) in Jordan. Specifically, variables that related to challenging behaviors, school's type, and gender differences were investigated. Four resource room teachers in public and private schools were asked to rate (168) students with LDs on the Arabic version of the Building Blocks Questionnaire (Mather & Goldstein, 2008). The findings indicate that over half of the students with LDs are suffering from challenging behaviors. In addition, students with LDs in private schools presented a better learning and behavioral profile than students with LDs in public schools. The results also showed that there are female under representation in special education services in Jordan. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed with reference to previous research and directions for future investigation.