Adolescents' Attitudes Concerning Students with Disability and / or Special Educational Needs in Regular Greek School Context

Abstract

Disability consists of a universal situation, observed in every domain of our daily living. Among these daily experienced environments, students with disabilities and / or special educational needs attend the education system, where they have to co-exist with students who are part of the typical population. These adolescents possess and develop attitudes towards their peers with motor, learning, sensory and emotional difficulties, which affect the special needs students’ lives, their social and learning abilities. The attitudes are determined by many factors and form the framework of an equal education. The present study aims to investigate thoughts, sentiments and behavior of typical developing students in secondary education toward their classmates with special needs, in favor of building positive relationships and providing social opportunities to every child [1]. The results are useful as guidance for educational policies to be improved, in order to facilitate school attendance in a common educational setting of all students, regardless of their difficulties [2].