PLACEMENT ALONG THE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

To better understand the conditions facilitating social relationships, we studied the impact of educational placement on the social life of students with severe disabilities. Several indicator variables were us ed to assess students' social relationships, including measures of soc ial contacts, social support behaviors, and friendship networks. Place ment at two points along the continuum of services-general education a nd self-contained classrooms-constituted the independent variables und er study. Two matched groups of students with severe disabilities, one from each placement type, served as participants. The results from di rect observation and interviews indicated that: (a) students placed in general education had higher levels of social contact with peers with out disabilities; (b) students in general education received higher le vels of social support from others, as well as provided higher levels of social support; and (c) those students had substantially larger fri endship networks composed primarily of peers without disabilities. Imp lications regarding the impact of the continuum of services on student s' social lives are discussed, along with general issues relating to t he development and maintenance of social relationships.