Social adjustment at school: Are children with cerebral palsy perceived more negatively by their peers than other at-risk children?
OBJECTIVE
To compare three dimensions of social adjustment (social status, friendship and victimization) across four groups of children between the ages of nine and 12 who differ by their birth status (premature vs. at term) and the presence or absence of a motor impairment (with and without cerebral palsy [CP]).


METHODS
All premature (n = 72) and term children (n = 118) without CP and all children with CP (premature with CP: n = 49; term with CP: n = 29) are part of a follow-up study. Social adjustment measures were obtained by conducting a classwide sociometric interview in the class of the target child.


RESULTS
Irrespective of their birth status, girls with CP have more social adjustment problems than those without a disability. With respect to victimization, the results show that, irrespective of gender, both CP children and premature children (without CP) differ from their term peers (without CP).


CONCLUSIONS
By comparing the four groups, we are able to qualify the impact of a visible clinical impairment such as CP versus that of extreme prematurity on social adjustment.
Nadeau
Line
L
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec Rehabilitation Institute, Quebec City. line.nadeau@rea.ulaval.ca
Tessier
Rejean
R
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012923:Social Class