A Comparison of Children With and Without Learning Disabilities on Social Problem-Solving Skill, School Behavior, and Family Background

The study compared 86 children with learning disabilities (LD) with 86 matched children without learning disabilities (NLD) on three domains of variables: social problem-solving skill, teacher-rated school behavior and competence, and family background. The children with LD and the NLD group differed on variables in all three domains. More specifically, the children with LD were able to generate fewer alternatives for solving social problem situations, showed less tolerance for frustration and less adaptive assertiveness, and had more overall classroom behavior problems and less personal and social competence in a variety of areas as rated by teachers. Children having LD also showed more family background difficulties (e.g., lack of educational stimulation at home, economic difficulties). The findings suggest the need for greater attention to social and behavioral remediation for children with LD and greater involvement of their families, in addition to the cognitive and academic remediation emphasized in existing curricula for children with LD.

[1]  B. Keogh,et al.  Teachers' Perceptions of Educationally High Risk Children , 1974 .

[2]  Y. Gross,et al.  Thought Processes in Culturally Deprived and Learning Disabled Children—A Comparative Study , 1986, Journal of Learning Disabilities.

[3]  R. Pihl,et al.  Learning Disabled Children as Adolescents , 1984, Journal of learning disabilities.

[4]  W. Bender,et al.  Adaptive Behavior of Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Children , 1988 .

[5]  J. Schumaker,et al.  Application of a Group Training Program in Social Skills and Problem Solving to Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Youth , 1982 .

[6]  G. Siperstein,et al.  Social Status of Learning Disabled Children , 1978, Journal of learning disabilities.

[7]  T. Bryan.  Peer Popularity of Learning Disabled Children , 1974 .

[8]  A. M. Greca,et al.  Children With Learning Disabilities , 1988, Journal of learning disabilities.

[9]  D. B. Ryckman,et al.  Sociometric Status of Learning Disabled Children in an Integrative Program , 1979, Journal of learning disabilities.

[10]  B. D. Markoski.  Conversational Interactions of the Learning Disabled and Nondisabled Child , 1983, Journal of learning disabilities.

[11]  S. Mcconaughy.  Social Competence and Behavioral Problems of Learning Disabled Boys Aged 12–-16 , 1986, Journal of learning disabilities.

[12]  J. Schumaker,et al.  Social Skills Training of LD Adolescents: A Generalization Study , 1982 .

[13]  E. Cowen,et al.  Normative and parametric analyses of school maladjustment , 1975, American journal of community psychology.

[14]  Norman Louat,et al.  The evaluation of , 1974 .

[15]  D. Richey,et al.  Classroom Behavioral Styles of Learning Disabled Boys , 1978, Journal of learning disabilities.

[16]  George Spivack,et al.  The Problem-solving approach to adjustment , 1976 .

[17]  J. Slate,et al.  Differences in Learning Disabled and Average Students' Classroom Behaviors , 1986 .

[18]  R. K. Yoshida,et al.  Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills and Classroom Behavioral Adjustment in Learning-Disabled Adolecents and Comparison Peers. , 1988 .

[19]  P. Gerber,et al.  A Comparative Study of Social-Perceptual Ability in Learning Disabled and Nonhandicapped Students , 1982 .

[20]  W. F. Vonderhaar.  A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PERFORMANCE SCALE IQ'S AND SUBTEST SCORES OF DEAF CHILDREN ON THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN AND THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN-REVISED , 1977 .

[21]  D. Center,et al.  Teacher Perceptions of Social Behavior in Learning Disabled and Socially Normal Children and Youth , 1986, Journal of learning disabilities.

[22]  Elizabeth M. Weiss.  Learning Disabled Children's Understanding of Social Interactions of Peers , 1984, Journal of learning disabilities.

[23]  J. Crocker,et al.  Sociometric Status and Related Personality Characteristics of Mainstreamed Learning Disabled Adolescents , 1983 .

[24]  E. Gesten,et al.  Evaluation of a Social-Problem-Solving Training Program for Suburban and Inner-City Third-Grade Children. , 1981 .

[25]  E. Gesten.  A health resources inventory: The development of a measure of the personal and social competence of primary-grade children. , 1976 .

[26]  E. Gesten,et al.  Social problem-solving skills training: A competence-building intervention with second- to fourth-grade children , 1981 .

[27]  G. H. Bachara.  Empathy in Learning Disabled Children , 1976, Perceptual and motor skills.

[28]  Gerald A. Strag.  Comparative Behavioral Ratings of Parents with Severe Mentally Retarded, Special Learning Disability, and Normal Children , 1972 .

[29]  G. Spivack,et al.  Interpersonal cognitive problem solving and primary prevention: Programming for preschool and kindergarten children 1 , 1979 .

[30]  V. L. Bruininks.  Peer Status and Personality Characteristics of Learning Disabled and Nondisabled Students , 1978, Journal of learning disabilities.

[31]  E. Dickstein,et al.  Role-Taking Deficits in Learning Disabled Children , 1980 .

[32]  Marc Wichesky,et al.  The Socially Deficient LD Child in Context , 1986, Journal of learning disabilities.

[33]  T. Bryan.  Peer Popularity of Learning Disabled Children , 1976 .

[34]  C. Carlson.  Social interaction goals and strategies of children with learning disabilities. , 1987, Journal of learning disabilities.

[35]  J. McKinney,et al.  Classroom Behavior of Learning Disabled Children , 1982 .

[36]  W. Stone,et al.  Comprehension of nonverbal communication: A reexamination of the social competencies of learning-disabled children , 1984, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[37]  T. Humphries,et al.  A categorical analysis of the social attributions of learning-disabled children , 1983, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[38]  W. Bursuck.  Sociometric Status, Behavior Ratings, and Social Knowledge of Learning Disabled and Low-Achieving Students , 1983 .

[39]  A. M. Greca.  Social Behavior and Social Perception in Learning-Disabled Children: A Review with Implications for Social Skills Training , 1981 .

[40]  G. Spivack,et al.  Adolescent problem-solving thinking. , 1974, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[41]  L. Feagans,et al.  The pattern of exceptionality across domains in learning disabled children , 1981 .

[42]  R. Pearl,et al.  Mothers' Evaluations of Their Learning-Disabled Children , 1982 .

[43]  P. L. Nichols,et al.  Minimal Brain Dysfunction: A Prospective Study , 1981 .