The Impact Of Type Of Learning Disability And Perceived Social Support On Manifest Anxiety In Children

Abstract

Background : Learning disability is an invisible disability with little physical manifestations other than problems in the academic arena.Children with LD often have anxiety due to poor academic support, harsh parenting and parental unawareness about the condition.Schools, teachers and peers too may not provide at times an environment suitable for their growth.This study was thus undertaken to study the effects of perceived social support on manifest anxiety in children with learning disability.Methodology : Data were conducted using self -report survey from 80 children with learning disability (39 single learning disability & 41 multiple learning disabilities).The sample consisted of children with learning disability aged between 11-16 years.These participants were selected by using convenience sampling method and by looking at their learning disability certificates from various hospitals, institutes and NGOs.The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale was used as assessment measures.Results : In the multiple LD group, the mean score of 19.64 (SD=5.95) was highest for low perceived social support, followed by 14.07 (SD=5.16)for moderate social support and 10.23 (SD=6.50)for high social support whereas in the single LD the mean score of 13.62 (SD=6.62)was highest for moderate perceived social support, followed by 12.15 (SD=7.61)for low perceived social support and 9 (SD=8.85)for high perceived social support.The total mean of 14.76 (SD=6.93)for multiple LD was higher than the total mean of 11.59 (SD=7.79)for single LD.There was a significant difference in the manifest anxiety experienced by the children in both groups (p < 0.05).The anxiety between children who experienced different levels of social support was also statistically significant (p < 0.05).Conclusions : Children diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities appear to have significantly higher manifest anxiety as compared to children with single learning disability.The level of social support experienced by the child also impacts their manifest anxiety with in an inverse relationship.But the two do not interact to affect the overall anxiety that the child experiences.

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