Actual and Perceived Peer Status of Learning-Disabled Students in Mainstream Programs

Abstract

Those few studies which have examined the peer relationships of learning disabled (LD) students in mainstream educational programs have not investigated the ability of such students to assess their own social status, a factor that may affect social interactions with peers. Further information would help in understanding the status of LD students in mainstream programs and tn planning educational experiences, if needed, to enhance their relationships with peers. This study, therefore, investigated the peer status of these students in regular classrooms and the accuracy with which they perceived their social position in the peer group. Results showed that LD students in mainstream programs were significantly less socially accepted than their classmates in regular classrooms and that they were less accurate than their classmates in assessing their own personal status in the group. Implications of these findings for instructional planning and further research are discussed.