Based on peer sociometric reports, we examined how number of friendships, social acceptance, and characteristics of social networks vary as a function of disability profile. We also investigated teachers' awareness of the sociometric status of young children with disabilities.Participants were 86 children with disabilities (63 boys) enrolled in inclusive preschool classrooms from the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal (Mage = 67.33 months, SD = 10.54).Findings suggest children with severe or socio-behavioral disabilities may be at increased risk for social rejection and isolation, having fewer friends and lower social network centrality than children with mild disabilities. Low agreement between teachers' classifications of the social status of children with disabilities and classifications based on peer nominations raises concerns about their awareness of processes of social rejection and neglect. Findings highlight the need for interventions to support positive social experiences at the dyadic and group levels in Portuguese inclusive preschool classrooms.
Positive social experiences with peers are important for children with disabilities attending inclusive early childhood education (ECE). This study investigated the associations between classroom quality, children's verbal, social, and behavioral skills, and the friendships and social acceptance of children with disabilities, while testing the moderating effects of ECE dosage. Eighty-six children with disabilities (63 boys; Mage = 67.53, SD = 10.54), attending 86 inclusive ECE classrooms from the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal, participated in the study. We found no effects of classroom quality on children's social acceptance and friendships and ECE dosage did not moderate this association. However, ECE dosage moderated the association between children's individual skills and their social acceptance and friendships. Findings suggest more time in ECE is not enough to support children's social acceptance, particularly for children with increased language and behavioral difficulties, who likely require more intensive and individualized interventions to support their peer-related social experiences.
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