Educational social skills and school inclusion: an associative and predictive study

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify associations between the social skills, behavioral problems, and academic competence of students with intellectual disabilities in the context of school inclusion and the educational social skills of their parents and teachers. In addition, the study sought to examine the predictive role of sociodemographic variables and the educational social skills of caregivers and teachers on students’ social skills and behavioral problems. Participants were 42 caregivers and 34 teachers of 44 students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in regular public schools in a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This was a quantitative, correlational, and predictive study with a cross-sectional design. Specific instruments and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used for data collection. The results indicated significant correlations between students’ behavioral repertoires and educators’ practices; age and educational social skills were found to predict children’s social skills; and negative parenting practices predicted behavioral problems. These findings highlight the importance of investigating these variables to inform possible interventions in the context of inclusive education.