Improving attitudes towards children with disabilities in a school context: a cluster randomized intervention study

Abstract

CATCH Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes TowardsChildren with Handicaps Scale SEU Special education unit.AIM Although inclusive education of disabled children is now an accepted practice, it is often challenged by negative peer attitudes. We undertook an interventional study aimed at improving students' attitudes towards their disabled peers.METHOD The participants were students from the 7th grade of twelve paired schools (1509 students from 62 classes; age 12-13y), randomly allocated to an intervention group (205 males, 285 females) or a control group (132 males, 165 females). The intervention consisted of a mandatory comprehensive educational project on disability. The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps Scale (CATCH) was used to assess children's attitudes before (T0) and after (T1) intervention. The hierarchical structure of the data was taken into account by adjusting standard deviations and using linear multilevel models.RESULTS Seven hundred and eighty-four students had at least one score on the three domains (cognitive, affective, behavioural) of the CATCH at T0 and T1. The final scores were higher than baseline scores (total scores, intervention group: baseline score 25.6 (SD=5.4), final score 26.8 (5.9), p<0.001; Control group: baseline 25.2 (5.4), final 26.0 (5.7), p<0.009) with no significant difference between the intervention and control groups. Individual score changes over time were associated with baseline score (p<0.001 for total and all sub-scores). Lower improvement in attitudes was found in students from schools with special units for their peers with cognitive impairment for total (p=0.013), affective (p<0.001), and behavioural (p=0.001) scores, while higher improvement existed for the cognitive domain (p=0.029).INTERPRETATION Although we found no effect of our intervention, we found an improvement in attitudes in the intervention and control groups that could be a result of the nature of the scales and questionnaires the students had to complete before the intervention.

Attitudes of Students towards Peers with Disability in an Inclusive School in Nigeria

“…This was similar to the findings of a cluster randomised intervention study among grade seven students in France. There was no significant difference in the attitudes of students towards their peers with disability between the intervention, which had a mandatory comprehensive educational project on disability, and the control group which did not (Godeau et al, 2010 ).…”

Dimensões ambientais e produtos e tecnologias influentes na participação e inclusão de alunos com incapacidade

“…Esta cultura de escola inclusiva, onde se torna iminente a rutura com um modelo do cuidador -onde a capacitação / envolvimento dos alunos com incapacidades é visto como um encargo de profissionais especializados-para se estabelecer um modelo de redes sociais de apoio, onde a inclusão social é uma responsabilidade de todos, tem sido uma perspetiva aclamada quer no domínio dos valores e direitos humanose.g., Convenção sobre os Direitos das Pessoas com Incapacidade (NU, 2006) -quer na conceção dos modelos de suporte que hoje orientam a avaliação e a intervenção sobre indivíduos com incapacidade (e.g., Shalock et al, 2010). Uma das linhas de investigação e ação (e.g., Tavares, 2011;Godeau et al, 2010) que mais notoriamente resulta dessa perspetiva, têm sido a abordagem interventiva sobre as atitudes dos alunos com desenvolvimento típico face aos pares com incapacidades, onde se consideram os programas de sensibilização para a incapacidade ferramentas úteis na "criação, dentro das turmas, de condições de recetividade e de respeito pela diferença" (Alves & Lopes-dos-Santos, 2013, p. 515).…”

"Deporte inclusivo en la escuela": diseño y análisis de un programa de intervencion para promover la inclusión del alumnado con discapacidad en Educación Física

“…Una variable que se ha demostrado estar relacionada con una actitud más positiva es el contacto previo con personas con discapacidad (Beh-Pajooh, 1991;de Laat et al, 2013;Kalyva y Agaliotis, 2013;Nikolaraizi y De Reybekiel, 2001;Nikolaraizi et al, 2005;Rosenbaum, Armstrong, y King, 1988;Scior, 2011;Siperstein et al, 2007;Slininger et al, 2000;Voeltz, 1980), sin embargo, otros autores obtuvieron resultados distintos ya que obtuvieron efectos negativos tras la experiencia previa con compañeros con discapacidad (Arampatzi et al, 2011;Godeau et al, 2010;Vignes et al, 2009). …”

“…Respecto a las estrategias seleccionadas en el programa DIE, a pesar de que se encuentran intervenciones fundamentadas exclusivamente en la información (Godeau et al, 2010;Morton y Campbell, 2008;Swaim et al, 2001), la simulación (Liu et al, 2010;Loovis y Loovis, 1997;Van Biesen et al, 2006) ó en la combinación de algunas de ellas como el CD y la información (Grenier y Kearns, 2012;Wilhite et al, 1997), coincidimos con otros autores en la combinación de tres de la estrategias en un mismo programa:…”

“…A su vez, diferimos de los autores que defienden que la experiencia previa con compañeros con discapacidad puede provocar efectos negativos en la actitud (Arampatzi et al, 2011;Godeau et al, 2010;Hutzler y Levi, 2008;Vignes et al, 2009). Al igual que Ward, Center y Bochner (1994) que afirmaron de que el contacto previo con personas con discapacidad puede provocar sentimientos de inseguridad, desconocimiento y miedo, presentando actitudes negativas hacia la inclusión.…”