Social acceptance of children with mental retardation by their regular classmates

• Main Author: Chu, Ching-Hui (June)
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Social acceptance; Intellectual disability; Children with mental disabilities; Social adjustment; Special Education and Teaching
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3034; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9872&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study determines the social acceptance of children with mental retardation by their regular classmates. In this study, social acceptance covered four areas, namely as a classmate, as a group mate, as a playmate, and as someone who needs help. It involved 121 public elementary pupils enrolled in two public elementary schools practicing mainstreaming. The descriptive method of research was used in this study. The research instrument used in this study was adopted from the study of Mercado (2002). The findings of the study revealed that the level of social acceptance of children with mental retardation by their regular classmates is moderate. The findings also revealed the following behaviors as indicators of regular classmates' acceptance of children with mental retardation: I like to be a good role model to him/her I like him/her to join my group in singing and/or dancing activities I like to make him/her laugh by saying something funny or making jokes and try to understand his/her disability and help my classmates understand him/her. Further, the findings revealed the following behaviors as indicators of regular classmates' non-acceptance of children with mental retardation: I do not like being beside him/her when lining up I do not like him/her to join my group in cleaning and fixing the classroom I do not like to share my toys with him/her and I do not like to lend my things to him/her. This study also found out that a significant difference exists between Grade 5 and Grade 6 regular classmates' social acceptance of children with mental retardation.