Specijalna Edukacija i Rehabilitacija (Jan 2019)
Quality of social competence of students with mild intellectual disability in school environment
Abstract
In recent decades, the phenomenon of social competence, especially in people with intellectual disability, has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. The slow development and limitations in socialization of these people are one of the basic characteristics of the state of intellectual disability. The aim of this research was to determine the differences between students with mild intellectual disability and students of typical development in relation to achievements that reflect the level of development of their social competence. The sample included 50 students with mild intellectual disability, as an experimental group, and 50 students of typical development, as a control group. The respondents were of both genders, aged between seven and twelve (M=9.80, SD=1.34). The School Social Behavior Scale, Second Edition, Merrell, 2002 was used in the research. The results showed that students of typical development achieved a statistically significantly higher overall score on the Social Competence Scale (p=0.000), as well as on Peer Relations, Self-Management, and Academic Behavior subscales (p=0.000). Most (66%) students with mild intellectual disability had an average level of social competence, while the majority (56%) of typically developing students were in the category of highly functional behavior. The statistical significance of gender and social competence was determined only in relation to the skills of Self-management (p=0,047), while it was also determined in relation to the total score on the Scale (p=0.045), as well as to the skills in the field of Academic behavior (p= 0.026) in the control group. Girls were better than boys in both groups. With regard to age, a statistically significant difference was detected only on the Peer Relations subscale (p=0.029). The older respondents in the experimental group were better at interpersonal relationships than the younger ones. There was no statistically significant difference in achievements between the respondents of the typical development of different age groups. The obtained results confirm the importance of this problem in the population of people with intellectual disabilities and impose the need for further study, as well as providing support from the earliest age and appropriate intervention programs.
