Factors influencing the self-esteem of children with a severe or profound learning disability: a pilot study

Abstract

Research aims: Children with a learning disability can have lower self-esteem than their typically developing peers, but little is known about the factors that influence this, particularly in children with a severe or profound learning disability. Our pilot project aimed to explore this. Methods: Information about 20 children was analysed to explore whether: having two identities associated with stigma ('double discrimination') was related to lower self-esteem; receiving a therapeutic intervention (input from clinical psychology and/or participating in a gardening group) influenced self-esteem, as rated by teachers. Results: We found that those children who experienced 'double discrimination' had significantly lower self-esteem than those who did not. Those in the intervention group had increased self-esteem scores as compared with baseline, while the scores of those in the control group fell slightly, although the difference was not significant. Conclusion: The results may help nurses target factors and develop interventions that affect the self-esteem of children with a learning disability.