The All In Award : a feasibility study of an intervention to improve children's attitudes towards peers with intellectual disabilities

• Main Author: Fitzgerald, Sophie
• Other Authors: Scior, K.
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2017
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.746892

AIMS: This review examined psycho- and sociometric methods used to assess children’s attitudes towards peers with intellectual disabilities, along with the quality of the measurement methods used. METHODS: A systematic search was carried out to identify studies investigating attitudes of typically developing children towards their peers with intellectual disabilities, published between 2000 and 2016. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were examined for the measurement method used and its quality. RESULTS: The review identified 27 articles which met the inclusion criteria. Across the studies reported, 20 different questionnaires were used. A number of studies combined measurement methods to assess the cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitudes. Seven studies used sociometric methods alone. The articles provided very little information on the reliability and validity of the measures they used. CONCLUSIONS: Most measures in use were designed to assess attitudes towards peers with disability in general, rather than specifically towards those with intellectual disabilities. Outdated and controversial language is used in some measures. There is limited information available on the reliability and validity of the available measures, suggesting a need for future research to carefully examine and report on the psychometric properties of measures when assessing attitudes in this field.