This study used Baron and Kenny's (1986) criteria for mediation to investig
ate the extent to which interpersonal understanding mediates the relation b
etween learning disabilities (LD) and social adaptation in the classroom. T
wenty-two children with and 22 children without a diagnosis of LD completed
a semistructured developmental clinical interview measure of interpersonal
understanding. They were also rated by their fourth- and fifth-grade teach
ers on a measure of social adaptation in the classroom. Interpersonal under
standing and social adaptation in the classroom were found to be positively
correlated. Children with LD exhibited less interpersonal understanding an
d social adaptation. Although this group difference on social adaptation wa
s greatly reduced when interpersonal understanding was statistically contro
lled, it remained statistically significant. These results suggest that red
uced social adaptation in the classroom and lower interpersonal understandi
ng are both associated with a diagnosis of LD. However, they do not conclus
ively support the claim that interpersonal understanding mediates the relat
ion between LD and social adaptation. Thus, whether the social difficulties
of people with LD stem from the same complex phenomena that produce these
people's learning problems remains an open question.