Preparing the Mainstream: Changing Children's Attitudes Toward The Disabled

Mainstreamed handicapped children often experience social rejection by their nonhandicapped peers. To evaluate possible approaches leading to a resolution ofpeer rejection, 86 low socially accepted learning disabled children in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades were pairedfor 8 weeks with 86 high socially accepted, same-sexed, nonhandicapped classmates, in [our groups: mutual interest group, cooperative academic task group. Hawthorne Ejfect/Control group, and classroom control group-Social acceptance ratings of students with learning disabilities by their nonhandicapped peers, paired in the mutual interest group, increased significantly as a function of the intervention, Those in the academic activities group and in the Hawthorne control group did not change. However, ratings of the classroom control group showed a lowered acceptance level over lime.

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Enhancing Rural Students¹Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions

Baker

Rude

Sasso

et al. 1994

Rural Special Education Quarterly

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This study investigated the impact of two widely used commercial programs designed to increase peer understanding and acceptance of elementary school-aged handicapped students. Second, fourth, and sixth graders from six rural school districts were used in the study. The Better Understanding of Disabled Youth (BUDY) program and the Lets Meet the New Kids on the Block (KOB) program were two treatments employed to determine whether positive gains in attitudes toward the disabled could be systematically attained. Furthermore, the two programs were compared to see if one was more effective in this regard. By employing an adaptation of the Acceptance Scale (Voeltz, 1981) as both a pre-test and post-test measure, changes in student attitudes were documented on a variety of survey items. While a variety of variables were tracked, the most meaningful differences occurred between students in different grade levels. It appeared that second grade children increased their acceptance toward their peers with disabilities more positively as a result of undergoing the KOB interventions, while the older intermediate level children increased their acceptance more positively as a result of completing the BUDY interventions. Implications of findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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Preparing the Mainstream: Changing Children's Attitudes Toward The Disabled

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

Direct Intervention to Modify Attitudes Toward the Handicapped by Community Volunteers: The Learning About Handicaps Programme

Direct Intervention to Modify Attitudes Toward the Handicapped by Community Volunteers: The Learning About Handicaps Programme

Peer Acceptance of Learning Disabled Children in the Regular Classroom

Enhancing Rural Students¹Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions

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Preparing the Mainstream: Changing Children's Attitudes Toward The Disabled

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

Direct Intervention to Modify Attitudes Toward the Handicapped by Community Volunteers: The Learning About Handicaps Programme

Direct Intervention to Modify Attitudes Toward the Handicapped by Community Volunteers: The Learning About Handicaps Programme

Peer Acceptance of Learning Disabled Children in the Regular Classroom

Enhancing Rural Students1Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions

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Product

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Enhancing Rural Students¹Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities: A Comparison of Interventions