SOCIAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT LEARNING-DISABILITIES IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS

Social outcomes of students who participated in two different educatio nal settings designed to provide special services for students with le arning disabilities (LD) placed full-time within the general education classroom were examined. Participants were 185 third-through sixth-gr ade students: 59 students with LD, 72 low to average achieving, and 54 high achieving. There was an overall educational setting effect, with students on the consultation/collaborative teaching setting demonstra ting more positive outcomes than students in the co-teaching setting o n friendship quality and peer acceptance. Students with LD in the cons ultation/collaborative teaching setting also demonstrated moderate inc reases in the number of reciprocal friendships from fall to spring. Di scussion addresses the positive social outcomes for students with LD a nd high-achieving students in the consultation/collaborative teaching setting, and the importance of monitoring student progress in all sett ings.