SOCIAL COMPETENCE AND AFFECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS WITH MILDDISABILITIES

Empirical research examining the social competence and affective funct ioning of children with mild disabilities was reviewed. Mild-disabilit y groups included children variously classified as having specific lea rning disabilities, mild mental retardation, behavior disorders, and a ttention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Social competence was concept ualized as a multidimensional construct that included social skills, a daptive behavior, and peer relationship variables. Children with mild disabilities were shown to have difficulties in negotiating both peer- related and teacher-related adjustments in school settings. Consistent with previous reviews, this review showed that children with mild dis abilities had poorer social skills, exhibited more interfering problem behaviors, and were poorly accepted or rejected by peers. Conflicting evidence in the literature exists as it relates to the general self-e steem levels of various groups of students with mild disabilities. The se findings were interpreted in terms of social comparison theory. The review concludes with a discussion of the methodological issues that should be addressed before the social competence and affective charact eristics of children with mild disabilities can be understood more ful ly. These issues include sampling designs, heterogeneity of samples, i nfluences of demographic variables, nosological error, and the paucity of available longitudinal research on these and related questions.