Social Competence and Affective Characteristics of Students with Mild Disabilities

Abstract

Empirical research examining the social competence and affective functioning of children with mild disabilities was reviewed. Mild-disability groups included children variously classified as having specific learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, behavior disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Social competence was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct that included social skills, adaptive behavior, and peer relationship variables. Children with mild disabilities were shown to have difficulties in negotiating both peer-related and teacher-related adjustments in school settings. Consistent with previous reviews, this review showed that children with mild disabilities had poorer social skills, exhibited more interfering problem behaviors, and were poorly accepted or rejected by peers. Conflicting evidence in the literature exists as it relates to the general self-esteem levels of various groups of students with mild disabilities. These findings were interpreted in terms of social comparison theory. The review concludes with a discussion of the methodological issues that should be addressed before the social competence and affective characteristics of children with mild disabilities can be understood more fully. These issues include sampling designs, heterogeneity of samples, influences of demographic variables, nosological error, and the paucity of available longitudinal research on these and related questions.