Social Integration of Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities in the Primary School

The aim of this study is to examine the position of students with mild intellectual disabilities in their own classrooms. Participants were 200 integrated children with mild intellectual disabilities and 200 non-disabled students and we used sociometry. Children with mild intellectual disability received significantly (p< 0,001) fewer choices generally, than the non-disabled students in the abilities factor, the sympathy choices factor and the competition factor. In questions concerning all of the integration difficulties, children with mild intellectual disability were generally chosen significantly (p< 0,001) more often than the non-integrated students. Our results may serve as an important addition towards the realization of an increasingly successful and more efficient integration. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.