SOCIAL SKILL DEFICITS AND LEARNING-DISABILITIES - A METAANALYSIS

Over the past 15 years, increased attention has been directed at socia l skills and their relationship to learning disabilities. Using the me thods of meta-analysis, this investigation explores the nature of soci al skill deficits among students with learning disabilities. Across 15 2 studies, quantitative synthesis shows that, on average, about 75% of students with learning disabilities manifest social skill deficits th at distinguish them from comparison samples. Approximately the same le vel of group differentiation is found across different raters (teacher s, peers, self) and across most dimensions of social competence. Altho ugh social skill deficits appear to be an integral part of the learnin g disability experience, a number of questions about the relationship between learning disability and social. skill deficits remain unanswer ed. Until these questions are answered, social skill deficits are best viewed as one among many elements of the learning disability constell ation, and no significant definitional changes related to social skill deficits appear warranted.