Quality of Reciprocated Friendships of Students with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Seventh Grade

Social dimensions of inclusion in education of 4th and 7th grade pupils in inclusive and regular classes: Outcomes from Austria

“…Furthermore, different types of friendships (e.g., regarding its quality or stability) have been distinguished (see, e.g., Poulin & Chan, 2010). Studies on this topic showed that the quality of friendships among students with SEN is equal or lower compared with those of students without SEN. Bossaert, Colpin, Pijl, and Petry (2015) on the one hand showed that students with autism spectrum disorders reported less intimacy regarding their friendships than students without disabilities, but on the other hand, they did not find differences in students' perceptions of shared friendship quality between students with disabilities and their peers. Results from a study by Locke, Ishijima, Kasari, and London (2010) indicated that friendship quality is lower among students with disabilities than among their peers.…”

Moving Toward an Inclusive Education System: Lessons from the U.S. and Their Potential Application in the Czech Republic and Other Central and Eastern European Countries

“…Bossaert, Colpin, Pijl and Petry (2015) reported no differences between companionship and support of the reciprocated friendships of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), students with motor and/or sensory disabilities and their typically developing friends. A meta-analysis of the self-concept of students with SLD found no overall relationship between self-concept and instructional setting for four out of five comparisons, which suggests that students fared no better or worse in terms of self-concept in inclusive as opposed to separate classrooms.…”

Social participation and friendship quality of students with special educational needs in regular Greek primary schools

“…This is certainly a gap in the current knowledgebase given that having high-quality friends might be especially important for students with SEN who experience lower social acceptance and have fewer friends compared to their typically developing peers. Specifically, having one high-quality friend who offers support and affection might not only contribute to the students with SEN's positive social adjustment but also provide protection against victimization (Bossaert et al 2015).…”