Peer Relationships of Learning Disabled Children: A Contextualist Perspective

Abstract

Recent research findings indicate that many learning disabled (LD) children are held in low esteem by their normally achieving (NA) peers. Research also suggests that poor peer relations in childhood predict maladjustment in adulthood. These findings demonstrate the need for instructional strategies to help isolated or rejected children relate to others. Most current approaches to diagnosis and remediation focus on the social deficits of the LD child. Asin academic Instruction, children are explicitly taught social knowledge or skills thought necessary for peer relations by teachers. An alternative approach, derived from contextualist theories of child development, is proposed. The contextualist perspective attributes the source of social problems to both partners in a peer relationship. It argues that instruction should occur within the context of ongoing peer interaction. The contextualist approach to conceptualizing the peer relations of children is outlined and its implications for LD research and practice are discussed.

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