Relative peer status of learning disabled, educable mentally handicapped, low achieving, and normally achieving children.

Abstract

Used a class roster rating method to measure the relative peer status of 13 learning-disabled, 18 educable mentally handicapped, 17 low achieving, and 15 normally achieving children in mainstreamed classrooms. A 3-item sociometric instrument was administered to 14 mainstreamed classes of 6th graders in which Ss were enrolled. Results show that peers made no distinctions among learning disabled, educable mentally handicapped, and low achieving Ss on social acceptance, classroom behavior, or task orientation. All of these Ss had significantly lower peer status than normally achieving Ss. On the question of classroom behavior, peers made no distinctions among any of the groups. Implications for grouping, mainstreaming, and further research are discussed. Results suggest that the handicapped label itself may contribute to the low social acceptance of learning-disabled and educable mentally handicapped children. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)