Premium
Theory of mind development in school environment: A case of children with mild intellectual disability learning in inclusive and special education classrooms
Author(s) -
Smogorzewska Joanna,
Szumski Grzegorz,
Grygiel Paweł
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12616
Subject(s) - psychology , special education , typically developing , developmental psychology , intellectual disability , theory of mind , inclusion (mineral) , learning disability , cognition , longitudinal study , significant difference , mathematics education , medicine , autism , social psychology , pathology , psychiatry , neuroscience
Background This longitudinal study examines the extent to which a school classroom (inclusive vs. special education) is meaningful for theory of mind (ToM) development among children with mild intellectual disability. Materials and Methods The participant group consisted of 166 primary school‐aged children ( M = 8.1, SD = 0.99), 79 of whom attended inclusive classrooms; the remaining 87 were in special education classrooms. Results Although all children developed ToM over time, children's learning of ToM in inclusive classrooms was significantly greater than that seen in special classrooms. The difference remained significant after controlling for age. The present authors have compared children's individual and family characteristics, but there were almost no differences between groups. Conclusions The present authors discuss the results in the light of their importance for children's cognitive and social development. The implications for children's education are also considered.