Social skills and classroom behavior among adolescents with mild mental retardation

Relations among self-reported social skills, teacher ratings of classroom behavior, and direct observations of social interactions among 87 adolescents with mild mental retardation were investigated and variables predicting the students' task orientation identified. Three information sources were employed. Results demonstrated that the four domains of social skills were related to the students' task orientation. The regression analysis revealed that students who were characterized by better social skills and fewer occurrences of hyperactivity and behavioral difficulties were viewed by teachers as evidencing more compliant and task-oriented behavior, implying their better ability to benefit from the special curriculum. The three sources of information validated one another and added information to the conceptualization and appraisal of social and academic competence among students with mental retardation.