Social Effects of Integrated Classrooms and Resource Room/Regular Class Placements on Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The social status of elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) served by the Integrated Classroom Model (ICM) was compared to the social status of elementary students with learning disabilities served in a regular class with resource room support. The ICM serves elementary special education and non-special-education students (1:2) together as one class. The comparison group was composed of students with learning disabilities who received special education services outside of their regular classroom for a portion of their school day. Social status was determined by assessing interpersonal relationships among students, using a peer rating method. The results of analyses of various dimensions suggest that while special education students in both programs have significantly lower social status on average than their non-special-education peers, the children in the ICM have a better opportunity to blend successfully into the classroom than the children who go out to a resource room.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Affleck, J.Q. , Lehning, T.W. , & Brow, K.D. (1973). Expanding the resource concept: The resource school. Exceptional Children, 39, 446–453.

Affleck, J.Q. , & Lowenbraun, S. (1981). Interpreter tutor model: Design to meet the LRE provisions of PL 94--142. Final Report (Grant No. G007805727). Washington, DC: Department of Education.

Affleck, J.Q. , Lowenbraun, S. , & Archer, A. (1980). Teaching the mildly handicapped in the regular classroom. Columbus, OH: Merrill.

Affleck, J. , Madge, S. , Adams, A. , & Lowenbraun, S. (1988). Effects of integrated classroom and resource room placement on academic achievement of mildly handicapped and regular education students. Exceptional Children, 54, 339–348.

Asher, S.R. , & Taylor, A.R. (1981). Social outcomes of mainstreaming: Sociometric assessment and beyond. Exceptional Education Quarterly, 1(4), 13–29.

Berler, E.S. , Gross, A.M. , & Drabman, R.S. (1982). Social skills training with children: Proceed with caution. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 15, 41–53.

Blalock, H.M., Jr. (1979). Social statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Bruininks, V.L. (1978a). Actual and perceived peer status of learning disabled students in mainstreamed programs. The Journal of Special Education, 12, 51–58.

Bruininks, V.L. (1978b). Peer status and personality characteristics of learning disabled and nondisabled students. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 11, 484–489.

10.

Bryan, T.H. (1974). Peer popularity of learning disabled children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 7, 621–625.

11.

Bryan, T.H. (1976). Peer popularity of learning disabled children: A replication. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 9, 307–311.

12.

Edgar, E.B. , & Hayden, A.H. (1982). Who are the children special education should serve and how many children are there? Unpublished manuscript, University of Washington, Area of Special Education, Seattle.

13.

Engelmann, S. , & Bruner, E.C. (1983). Reading mastery. Chicago: SRA.

14.

Jacobs, J.H. (1986). Social problem solving as a predictor of academic performance, adjustment, and social status in 4th and 5th grade students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Washington, Seattle.

15.

Jenkins, J.R. , & Heinen, A. (1989). Student's preferences for service delivery: Pull-out, in-class, or integrated models. Exceptional Children, 55, 516–523.

16.

Keogh, B.K. (Ed.). (1984). Advances in special education: Documenting program impact (Vol. 4.). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

17.

Lilly, M.S. (1982). The education of mildly handicapped children and implications for teacher education. In M.C. Reynolds (Ed.), The future of mainstreaming: Next steps in teacher education (pp. 52–64). Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

18.

Scranton, T.R. , & Ryckman, D.B. (1979). Sociometric status of learning disabled children in an integrated program. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 12, 402–407.

19.

Sheare, J.B. (1978). The impact of resource programs upon the self-concept of peer acceptance of learning disabled children. Psychology in the Schools, 15, 406–411.

20.

Singleton, L.C. , & Asher, S.R. (1977). Peer preferences and social interaction among third-grade children in an integrated school district. Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 330–336.

21.

Siperstein, G. , Bopp, M.J. , & Bak, J.J. (1978). Social status of learning disabled children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 11, 98–102.

22.

Sontag, E. (1982). Perspectives on the status and future of special education and regular education. In M.C. Reynolds (Ed.), The future of main-streaming: Next steps in teacher education (pp. 65–73). Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

23.

Stainback, S. , & Stainback, W. (1984). A rationale for the merger of special and regular education. Exceptional Children, 51, 102–111.

24.

Woodcock, R.W. , & Johnson, M.B. (1977). Woodcock-Johnson psycho-educational battery. Allen, TX: DLM Teaching Resources.