Perceptions of Secondary School Students with Mild Disabilities to the Academic and Social Support Mechanisms Implemented in Regular Classrooms

Abstract

The Student Perceptions of Classroom Support Scale (SPCS), which measures the perceptions of students with mild disabilities of academic and social support mechanisms implemented in regular classrooms, was administered to 60 secondary school-aged students. Data were obtained with reference to curricular, instructional, physical and peer support mechanisms. Item affectivity and multivariate analysis of variance revealed that significant differences were evident in student's perceptions in regard to academic versus social support mechanisms. Support mechanisms rated highly by students in terms of positive academic and social outcomes often represented traditional teaching values. Conversely, support mechanisms such as one-to-one assistance from teacher assistants or volunteers were perceived as positive in terms of completing classroom activities, but of limited value in establishing friendships with peers. The SPCS not only provides researchers, clinicians and educators with a method of objectively evaluating students' perceptions of support mechanisms, but also as a method of developing effective practical applications for students included in regular classrooms.

Parental Perspectives of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders Transitioning From Primary to Secondary School in the United Kingdom

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How do peers promote social inclusion of children with disabilities?A mixed-methods systematic review

“…The quantitative studies (see table 1) were conducted in the U.S.A, Iran, Europe, and Australia. The studies took place either at primary schools [38][39][40][41][42] or secondary schools [40,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] attended by both students with and without disabilities. The type of disabilities or conditions included physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, epilepsy, and Rett syndrome [38,39,41,42,44].…”

Your Voice Counts: Listening to the Voice of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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